Zelda: Winds of a New Beginning
by Alaia Skyhawk
Summary: With Ganondorf gone and Hyrule washed away, peace has come to the Great Sea... but all is not as it seems... the gods saw more in a wish than what was said... and so a time of unexpected changes will begin...
1. Let the Story Begin, with a Present

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here is my Zelda Windwaker Story. It's set four years after the end of the game. Also, I'd like to mention that the islands will be bigger than what they are in the game. It always made me wonder how such small islands could support even the small number of people you see, considering they would have little room for farming, and there's the mention that the sea has no fish in it (Treasure hunter guys and Ganon both mention it). Anyway, because of that the islands are all a lot bigger, after all, they're supposed to be the tops of mountains... they were small tops if you ask me...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

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Summary: With Ganondorf gone and Hyrule washed away, peace has come to the Great Sea... but all is not as it seems... the gods saw more in a wish than what was said... and so a time of unexpected changes will begin...

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Chapter 1: Let the Story Begin, with a Present.

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The waves shifted... flowing in a never ending dance of water, sweeping from horizon to horizon. Dotted here and there with islands that were once the tops of the mighty mountains of Hyrule, a land now lost, gone forever. A land washed away by the power of the gods... at the will of one man... Despite what may have been assumed, he was not a man of evil, quite the opposite. This was a man who seeing the Great Evil, Ganondorf, cling to his malign intentions to rule Hyrule as his reason for living, had realised that he too had lived bound to the forgotten kingdom... and that it was time to let the past go... And thus with a single wish upon the Triforce, the golden power left behind by the Golden Goddesses when they departed from Hyrule after its creation, the sea enveloped the once great kingdom, and began to wash it away... His prize snatched from him, Ganondorf turned his anger on those closest... The Hero of Winds, there to stop him, and the formerly lost Princess of Hyrule, whom had been Ganondorf's prisoner. In the battle that followed the evil man was stuck down by the strength of the two friends, and the power of the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane. In his dying moments, as his spirit began to depart to eternity, he seemed to finally find peace... in the breath of the wind blowing across his face like a benediction... from a world that had suffered at his hand, and yet had acknowledged that power can corrupt, that he used to be a man of honour... who lost himself to a desire to be strong...

It had been four years since that day. Four years in which many changes have come to the Great Sea. After spending a year sailing the seas, the princess, Tetra Zyara Hyrule, decided that it was time to accept her duty and take up her place as Queen. Shortly after she called together representatives from each of the islands and tribes. That day the Declaration of Unity was signed and the people united to a common banner... The Crest of Hyrule. In the three years that have followed, many of the old Moblin watchtowers were converted into trading outposts and with the help of Medli, attendant to the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo, the old Hylian language was now being taught to the people of the Great Sea so that it would always be a part of the new Kingdom of Hyrule. As for the legend of the Hero of Time, no longer was it ended with, 'what became of that kingdom... none remain who know', but with, 'the kingdom was sealed away at the bottom of the ocean... to await the day when its slumber would end and peace return'... The truth of their history was now known to them, and they were ensuring that it would never again be forgotten.

As for the Hero of Winds... after his travels with the princess he spent two years helping her to found the new kingdom and solidify the ties between the islands. When the work was done, he returned home... to Outset Island... The place where his incredible journey had begun.

The waves washed gently against the shore of the island, graced by the light of the noonday sun. It was made up of two halves, linked by a length of wooden walkway. The south side of the island was dominated by the soaring cliffs that ascended nearly four hundred feet to the summits of the two flat-topped peaks, which were linked by a wood-and-rope bridge that connected the western peak and its path to the summit, with the eastern peak and its forest, which was otherwise unassailable. The north side however was fairly flat, only twenty meters above sea level at its highest, sloping down to the water's edge in a series of terraces, many with their own house and adjoining vegetable garden. The remaining terraces were covered in rows of small, stocky trees which on the Great Sea were referred to as Weed Trees, because they grew like weeds... Within hours of them being cut new ones would start to grow, reaching maturity in just a few days. These trees provided the inhabitants of the Sea with a steady supply of fire wood, as well as the bark, whose fibres could be woven into cloth or twisted into rope, and the soft inner pith which when dried could be ground into flour to make bread and other baked goods.

The island was one of the largest on the Great Sea. It extended for almost half a mile north to south, and a little over a mile east to west, with the peaks taking up two thirds of that area. The village of Outset consisted of nearly fifty houses and their gardens. Among these could be found the local weaver and blacksmith, the carpenter and the doctor. A narrow walkway stretched out from the eastern island leading to a lookout tower, the island's docking pier extended from the beach of the other. On a small promontory overlooking the dock was a house with a wooden balcony, upon which sat a young man, stitching the hem of a sail.

Link looked up from his work and looked down at the beach. The sea farming season was about to start and so the majority of the villagers were assembling the large floating platforms that would be moored in a pattern of blocks around the island. They were made up of a simple wooden frame with a grid work of wooden strips making up the bottom to support the thick layer of cloth that would line the frame. In this they would put a thin layer of sand, only half an inch thick, into which they would plant the seedlings of the sea water crops that had been set away a month before in the troughs of seawater that had been set up outside of all the houses in the village. These were now crammed to the brim with seedlings, each trough holding enough to fill several of the frames that, when not in use, were stored in the large barn like building on the highest terrace, well away from the water where they would dry out and be preserved until they were brought back out the following year.

He brushed a stray strand of his blond hair out of his eyes. As he continued to watch, the villagers clipped the cloth lining into place and fixed the walking planks at intervals across the frame. With that they pushed the frame into the water and out to the edge of the several other water and sand filled frames that were already moored there. He watched as they dropped the platform's anchors, two rocks on tethers fixed to opposing corners, into the water then tied the two linking ropes from the corners on one side, to the neighbouring platform. This done, they returned to shore as some of the other villagers ran along the walking planks of the platforms out to the newly placed one and began tipping the bags of sand they carried into it. He shook himself.

_Come on, Link. Sitting around daydreaming isn't going to get the Red Lion finished._

He fixed his deep green eyes back on the sail in his lap and began sewing the hem once more. A few months ago he had designed and begun building a new ship for himself, and this sail was needed to finish it. To be truthful this was only a spare sail, but Link would not consider the ship ready until its full set of gear was complete, including spares. After an hour of concentrated sewing, Link cast off the end of the thread and folded up the now completed sail. He stood up and looked down at the boatshed he had built before starting the project. It was a simple structure, just a set of walls with a peaked roof, built on top of a convenient crescent of rocks. The inside had a platform around the edge leaving an expanse of water in the middle. In it rested the Red Lion, his new ship. Named after the now departed King of Red Lions, the alias of Daphnes Nohassen Hyrule. The man whom had made that fateful wish upon the Triforce to wash away the kingdom of old. In the back of the shed, on a rack, was the boat that had been the vessel for the man's spirit over the two thousand years or so that had passed since the Sealing. Over the last few years Link had realised that the small boat was no longer a practical vessel for him. He now kept it out of the water, after also discovering that the boat was decaying in places, to preserve the only remains of the once great king. He eventually hoped to build a memorial somewhere, within which he would put the boat... but until then it would just have to stay where it was.

In a single smooth motion he vaulted over the rail and landed neatly on the beach two metres below. He walked over to the shed and entered through the door on its side. Once inside he stopped to admire the ship within. It was a twenty-two foot long sloop of a sleek design. It was built to combine both speed and a moderate cargo capacity. Link's taste for sailing meant he would never be the type to stay put on an island so he had negotiated an agreement with the Rito Postal Service. Any parcels that were too big for the postal flyers to carry would now be conveyed by him while he sailed around the Great Sea. He would of course take breaks now and then to explore, but he still had to consider his family. He needed a reliable way of making a living... adventuring and treasure hunting would only get him so far and was too unpredictable to say the least. The Rito had been happy with the arrangement, the postal fees for the parcels would be given to the Service while Link would receive a set regular wage every month, with extra money added based on the number of packages he transported during that month, just as it was for the postal flyers.

Link stepped nimbly across the gap and landed on the ship's deck. Heading to the ship's bow, he lifted the forward hatch and descended the steps to the cabin compartment, lifting a second floor hatch he climbed down the short ladder to the storage space below. Finding the right crate he put the spare sail away and climbed back up to the deck. After one final look around he jumped back over to the walkway and headed for the door, pausing for a moment at the door to look at the canvas covered shape at the rear of the shed. He sighed, a look of regret in his eyes, and went through the door. He set off at a steady pace along the beach to where the path up to the first terrace started, waving at the people on the beach as he passed. He was almost to the turn off leading back to his house when a familiar voice called out. He looked ahead to see his little sister, Aryll, charge down the porch steps and along the path towards him.

"Big Brother! Did you forget again? It's your birthday!" She slammed into him and gave him a big hug. She was twelve years old now and had gotten a lot taller, though she was still shorter than him. She looked up at him with a grin on her face. "Happy sixteenth birthday Link!"

He blinked as he had a wrapped parcel shoved at his face. Taking it from her, he unwrapped the canvas from around the object. It was a brand new telescope made of polished dark wood with brass fittings. He gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Aryll. Is this from both you and Grandma? It must have been very expensive."

Aryll shook her head.

"Nuh uh... its' from everyone in the village. We thought you would need one of your own for your trips since you gave mine back to me."

He chuckled.

"So that's why everyone has been giving me funny looks, they were all in on it. I'll have to go round the village later and thank everyone."

Aryll grabbed his hand and began dragging him towards the house.

"Come on, Big Brother. Grandma is making our favourite soup!"

Laughing at his sister's enthusiasm, Link let himself be pulled down the path. As they entered the house, something very large watched them from high on the peak above, obscured from view by the trees of the Fairy Forest.

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**Alaia Skyhawk: I'll leave it at that for now. I picked 2000 years as a time frame since in regard to when Hyrule was sealed away The King of Red Lions said that 'hundreds of years have passed since then' (scene where you find out Tetra is the princess) and I decided that that was the best length of time for certain plot points in the story and also some character details I've had to work out. Well I hope you like this, I'll update in a few days.**


	2. Belated Thanks

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 2. I forgot to mention that this will not be your standard 'new evil comes, hero fights it' kind of story. A lot of the focus will be on the people of the Great Sea, their lives... and how they adapt to the 'changes' that are going to happen... as well as the plotline itself. The plot will progress at a steady pace though through ALL the chapters. That is every chapter will progress the plot in some way, fill in chapters (IF I ever have to use any) will be few and far between. **

**I also forgot to explain the sea farming idea. It based off how rice is grown, in flooded fields, though in this case they're using floating frames that hold a layer of sand a few inches below the water's surface, basically creating extra farming space to grow food they wouldn't be able to grow otherwise. As for the weed trees, it's a joke on my part about the spontaneously regenerating trees... Cut down tree, go down hole, come back 2 sec later, tree back... lol... So I made an apparently logical explanation for them growing quickly and made them useful as well.**

**Anyway, here's the disclaimer. I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 2: Belated Thanks.

The inside of the house was as it had always been. It was built in an L-shape and was made of wood on a stone foundation with a thatched roof, just like every other house in the village. The door was placed on the end of one side of the L, which formed a kind of lobby area where the coats could be hung on the hooks fixed to the left hand wall and footwear could be placed on the rack on the floor where, if they were wet, they wouldn't stain the floor. In front of him to his left was the ladder that led to the loft platform. He remembered playing up there with his sister when she was little, and also the stories about his parents that his Grandmother would tell to them on nights spent by the fire. According to her, the platform was where his parents used to sleep, thought he couldn't remember it. His father had been lost at sea when his mother had been three months pregnant with Aryll. Later she had died giving birth to his sister. As a result, Link, who had been only four years old when all that had happened, could remember little about them.

He followed his sister past the ladder. The corner behind it held a pair of low, wide benches heaped with cushions, where they would sit and work on small projects as they talked about their day or told the old stories of adventure and legend. On the back wall to his left was the stone hearth where all the food was cooked and which also heated the house. On the wall opposite a single bed and a set of bunk beds stood sideways against the wall. His was the top bunk, his sister's the bottom and the single belonged to their grandmother. Speaking of which, she was sat in her chair next to the fire with a blanket she was embroidering on her lap. Hearing them come in, she looked up at them and smiled.

"There you are, Link. Your soup is getting cold." She gestured to the pair of soup filled bowls stood on the hearthstone. "Did you get your sail finished?"

The two siblings picked up the bowls and the chunk of bread that had been set next to each of them and sat on the floor on the other side of the fire. After swallowing his first mouthful of soup and bread he replied.

"Yes, it's finished. I'll probably leave on my first cruise in a few days."

She nodded.

"I see... as much as I fear you suffering the same fate as your father... I know that sailing is in your blood." She chuckled. "I wouldn't be able to keep you off of that ship even if I tied you down."

He reached over and patted her hand.

"Don't worry, Grandma, I'll be careful. I'll just be doing postal runs, with some trade cargo, and it's not like there are any sea monsters that I _can't_ handle." He gave her and his sister a sad smile. "As much as I love sailing, I'm still going to miss being here with you. My spirit may be with my ship, but my heart will always be here."

He set his now empty bowl down and picked up his new telescope. His grandmother smiled as she saw it.

"I see Aryll has given you your present. Has she told you it's from everyone?"

Link looked up at her and nodded.

"Yes, she has." He got up. "Well I'm going to go thank everyone. After that I'm going up the peak to try it out. I should be back before dinner."

As he turned he ruffled his sister's hair, getting a string of protests from her for messing it up. With that he went out the door and headed for Orca and Sturgeon's house. The two elderly brothers each had one floor of the house to themselves and couldn't be more different. The ground floor belonged to Orca, a self taught weapons master who had given Link his first blade and lessons in the use of it, just before fate had led him to leave outset on what started out as a simple quest to save his sister. He smiled to himself.

_And I ended up saving the world..._

The upper floor belonged to Sturgeon, who was something of a scholar and researcher... and was constantly yelling through the floor at his brother when ever something fell off his shelves. While Orca readily admitted that sometimes he did something downstairs that would cause something of Sturgeon's to fall, the fact was that most of the time is was actually because the shelves needed fixing, though Sturgeon expressly said that they did not and so refused to let anyone do anything to them. It meant that not a day went by where Sturgeon's voice wasn't heard shouting curses at his brother at least once.

Link climbed the two steps to Orca's door and knocked, promptly getting an invitation from Orca to come in. The inside consisted of a single room; there was a bed, table, pair of stools, hearth and a set of cupboards on one side of the room. On the walls were displayed immense Gyorg skulls with their masses of razor sharp triangular teeth, and also harpoons of various sizes. The middle of the room was dominated by a large ring marked out with a long length of rope on the floor of packed earth. This was Orca's training area. Link looked over to the table where Orca was just finishing his noon meal. The man gave him a stern look.

"Well don't just stand there boy! Come over and sit down."

Link did as he was told and sat on the second stool. He didn't take offence at Orca's manner; he knew that at times like this he was merely acting cranky. When he _was_ cranky, like after you didn't listen properly to his instructions while he was teaching you, you'd find yourself on your rear after being clipped by butt of the harpoon he used to fight. Link spoke as the man continued to eat his meal.

"I'm going round everyone in the village to thank you all for the telescope... Speaking of which, thank you."

A corner of the old man's mouth lifted in a smile, he swallowed his last mouthful.

"We all knew you needed one of your own. It's our way of helping you stay safe in your new profession." He got up and gave Link a firm slap on the shoulder. "Your parents would be proud of you. Not many sixteen year olds can say they're officially considered the best sailor on the sea." He looked at Link with a smile. "...Not many can say that they saved the world either."

The both of them laughed as Link got up.

"Thanks, Orca."

Orca gave him another pat on the shoulder.

"It's fine. Now I guess you'd better be going. You have a lot of people to thank."

Link went through the door and climbed the ladder on the wall to his left. Sturgeon had his own door on a platform built into the side of the building. As with Orca, Link got an immediate invitation to enter. When he got inside it was clear that Sturgeon had already cleared up after his meal, and he was now sat at his desk with his nose in his latest book. Knowing that if he gave him a chance, the old man would launch into an account of his latest discovery and whatnot, Link spoke before he could get started.

"I just come to thank you for the telescope. I can't stay, I still have to thank everyone else in the village."

Sturgeon, who had a hand lifted up in readiness to rattle on about what was in the book, lowered it as disappointment flickered across his face. He gave Link a wry smile.

"Oh well, I can tell you another time."

Link felt a very faint vibration as Orca moved something downstairs. It was too much however for Sturgeon's rather flaky shelves. Three of them promptly collapsed dumping their load of books on the floor, this then caused the rest to collapse. In response, Sturgeon began turning a deep shade of red as Link began to inch his way backward towards the door.

"Uh..."

Sturgeon then practically exploded.

"AHHHHHHGG! ORCA YOU DRATTED HOOLIGAN!!! YOU'VE KNOCKED EVERYTHING OFF MY SHELVES!!!!"

He was whacking his walking stick off the floor as he literally began steaming with fury. Link slipped out the door to get away before he could be collared into helping put everything back. He climbed down the ladder and began heading to Rose's house, wincing as Sturgeon's banging and yelling reverberated though the air. Rose's house was on the second terrace, there she lived with her husband and their two sons, Joel and Zill.

Rose was known in the village for her daily statement that she was trying to lose weight... and yet she never shed a single pound. One of her sons had something of a reputation as well... Zill. It recently came to light that far from having a constant cold, he allowed his nose to run deliberately. Giving him a perpetually hanging length of 'booger', as Joel called it, from his nose. What made it worse was that Zill had somehow mastered sniffing ninety-nine percent of it up his nose only to let it to drop back down in all it's slimy glory.

As Link approached the house he looked at the immense black pig kept in the attached pen. He had caught the pig for Rose five years ago, just before he left to save his sister. When he returned home in order to visit Lord Jabun, who had taken refuge in the sea cave on the south side of the island, he found out that he'd been given the 'honour' of having the pig named after him. Link gave his namesake a bemused look as he walked past. When he reached the front door he found that all of the family were sat on a blanket set on the grass off to one side, enjoying the sunshine. Upon seeing him, Rose broke out into a beaming smile and clasped her hands together.

"Oh, Link! Did you like your telescope?"

Link smiled in return and glanced down at it in his hand. He looked back up at them.

"Yes, I do like it. It's really going to help me on my postal runs."

He husband looked over.

"Hey, Link, I know it's your birthday but would you mind taking Link for a walk. He's gotten so big I can't lift him anymore."

Link looked sidelong at the pen. Remembering the last time he took the pig for a walk. He shuddered inwardly at the memory.

"Ummm, I'm sorry but I don't have time right now. I still haven't thanked everyone for the telescope."

The man shrugged.

"Alright, thank you again for all those times you've taken him out before."

Zill, who was now eight years old and as tall as Aryll had been at than age, charged up to and nearly banged into Link as his twin brother Joel looked on.

"So so so..." He sniffed up the 'booger' and it fell back down again. "Can me an' Joel come with you?"

Joel jumped to his feet.

"Yeah, can we?"

Link looked at their mother.

"Is it alright with you?"

She waved a hand dismissively.

"Of course, of course... there's no problem at all." She looked at her sons. "Now you two behave yourself while Link thanks the rest of the village."

The chorused in unison.

"Yes, Mom."

And so things went on as Link made his way around the village, Joel demonstrating how good he had gotten at jumping out to the rocks halfway along the walkway that joined the two halves of the island. When the last house had been done and he had spoken to everyone out on the beach, Link sent Joel and Zill back to their mother while he went up the path to the summit to test out his telescope.

Up at the top the wind swept past in a constant stream, whipping Link's hair to one side as he gazed out at the great expanse of ocean. With a grin he brought the telescope up to his right eye and focused it on Headstone isle, a pinprick on the horizon, barely visible. Headstone Isle was the only remaining entrance to the Earth Temple, the domain of Medli, the Sage of the Earth Temple. Since only those of her bloodline could be a sage of that temple, the gods of earth had given her permission to live out a lifetime among the people and have a family. During that time she would grow old as normal and when she reached the point where she would have died, she would regain her youth and take up permanent residence in the temple. The only time she would have to go there in the meantime would be if the Master Sword were needed... but that wasn't likely to happen. A new evil requiring the Blade of Evil's Bane to defeat would never arise so soon after the defeat of another. That was the way the balance of fate worked.

Link was totally engrossed in his observation of the other islands he could see from this vantage point and as a result didn't see the _very_ big red creature lift out of the forest on the other peak to land _right_ behind him. At the thud and the shaking of the ground, Link spun round with a cry and startled by what he saw, fell on his butt. He looked up at the last person he had expected to see.

"Lord Valoo, what are _you_ doing here?"

The Guardian Spirit of the Sky, chuckled. Link was now fluent in the Hylian language and had no trouble understanding him.

"I came to give you a present. Both as a birthday gift and as a thank you for getting rid of that monster that was attacking my tail."

Link looked confused.

"But you thanked me already."

Valoo gave him an amused look.

"I only thanked you in words. I would have given you Din's Pearl as a reward, but Prince Komali did that. This leaves me with having given you nothing in return for your good deed." He daintily put down a cloth wrapped, disk-shaped package. "This is for you, don't touch it with your bare hands until you want to use it."

Puzzled by Valoo's statement, Link carefully unfolded the cloth as the parcel sat on the ground. Inside was a bright red shimmering scale. Link gasped in astonishment.

"Is this...?"

Valoo chuckled again.

"Yes it is one of my scales... My gift to you is the gift of flight. You've more than earned it. I would also like to tell you that by giving you this, you would now be officially considered an adopted member of the Rito Tribe." He prepared himself to take off and return home. "It also means that your family are also adopted so your sister can come to receive a scale from me as well when she turns sixteen." He took flight and headed north-east towards Dragon Roost Island. His voice echoed back to the stunned young man. "Fly well, Link." There was a faint laugh. "You yourself will have to tell the tribe of your adoption on your next visit to the Roost. _I_ will not tell them. They just think I've gone to stretch my wings..."

Link was shocked out of his stunned stupor by the statement. He glared at the retreating form of the dragon.

"Why you conniving..."

After a moment he saw the funny side of it and began to laugh, before re-wrapping the scale, tucking it into his belt and looking out to sea with his telescope once more.

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The man gazed out at the endless expanse of ocean through a mess of unkempt, ragged blond hair that looked as thought it had been trimmed with a knife. His clothes were of a very coarse weave, clearly made with a makeshift loom. In his eyes there was a yearning. A desire to be in one special place.

"...home... I wonder... how long have I been here...? Did she... Is she still waiting for me... to come home?"

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**Alaia Skyhawk: That was fun to write. So who is the man? Have I made you curious? It'll be a while yet before you finally find out. Heh heh. (Edit: Dammit anet, you removed my scene spacers!! Now I have to go put them all back in!)**


	3. First Flight, First,,,

**Alaia Skyhawk: Uh oh... if you've been reading my story Prequel to a Restoration, you'll know all too well what I mean when I say... THE WRITING BUG IS BACK!!!**

**Writing Bug: "WITE'IT! WITE'IT!" (Translation: MUAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M BA-ACK!)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hands... reaching for keyboard... Must write.... story...**

**Writing Bug: "WITE'IT WITE WITE WITE!" (Translation: Alaia Skyhawk doesn't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. She does however own this story and any OCs, so don't steal them or I'll come after you with my chainsaw.) (Brandishes chainsaw with the words 'Property of the Writing Bug' written on it)**

**Review Replies:**

**Ri2**

**Thanks for your reviews. To be truthful I wasn't expecting to get a review so quick after just starting the story. My 1st story, 'Prequel', was up to about chapter 4 before I got my 1st one. Now I have 132 on that story...lol... to think I was chuffed to bits when I reached 50. **

**Anyway in response to your comments. I thought turning the watchtowers into trading outposts made sense, after all, why waste something you can use? **

**The sea farming... well that came up in a mental debate with myself as I wondered about how they could grow enough food when they had so little space. At first I thought 'what if they had crops that grow in salt water? Like a kind of rice maybe', then 'would they grow in sand?' then it was ' hey, put sand in floating trays and anchor them out in the water!' and lo the idea was born. **

**The weed trees, like I said it's a little bit of a joke. It started as, 'that's weird but funny in a way' then 'if those trees really did that, they wouldn't have to worry about fire wood'. After that I remembered how fibres from tree bark used to be the main material used to make rope etc, and then I thought about how some trees in the rainforest have edible centres and I put it all together. **

**Yep, Orca's still around, after all it's only been 4 years since the original storyline ended. **

**Sturgeon, I couldn't resist poking fun at him yelling at Orca right at the start of the game. **

**The pig... well he's there so I mentioned him. Always though taking him for a 'walk' was funny. **

**Zill... yeah I just had to keep the booger. You find out about him doing it deliberately if you do his figurine in the Nintendo Gallery. I have a game file where I've completed it, it's useful for little character details like that. **

**Yep, Valoo is in town as it were. He was the one watching at the end of chapter 1, if you hadn't already figured that out. **

**Link getting wings, woo hoo... I have a bit of an obsession with flying and I thought it would be so cool if he got some of his own. **

**...The man... hmmmm... maybe...**

**Well... long reply, but I was in the mood to answer every comment.**

**...Um I'll say later**

**Thanks for the review. I'm glad you think this is cool. Here's the next chapter.**

Chapter 3: First Flight, First...

It was nearing sunset as Link descended from the peak and returned to his home at the other end of the island. The sky was beginning to turn a glorious mix of reds, golds and fiery yellows, tinting the village an orange hue. He pulled the package containing the scale out of the back of his belt.

_I can't believe that Lord Valoo would give me something like this... Wings... the one thing the Rito have that I've envied. Ever since I got that Deku leaf I've loved gliding on the wind almost more that I love sailing, and I didn't realise that until I got too heavy to use it anymore._ He sighed happily. _But now I can learn to fly all over again, only this time I won't be limited by how much magic I have in my reserves._

Link continued his daydreaming as he crossed the walkway to the western island and walked along the first terrace. He approached his house brimming with anticipation. He couldn't wait to see their faces when he told them... Especially Aryll's when he told her that she could get wings too if she wanted. He climbed the porch steps and went through the door. His sister and grandmother, who were sat on the low benches in the corner, looked up from their conversation.

"Big Brother! So what do you think of your telescope."

He looked back at her with a wide grin on his face.

"It works great."

A moment later she registered the type of grin on his face.

"I know that look. What is it? Come on, tell us what has you so happy. I know it's not the telescope."

Link pulled the parcel out from his belt where he'd put it back before entering the house.

"I got another present... from the Sky Spirit, Lord Valoo."

Aryll almost fell off the bench in surprise, while his grandmother looked at the cloth wrapped bundle with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"So what did he give you, Link?"

Link dropped the bombshell. Both of them were wide eyed in shock as this time Aryll did fall off the bench. She gaped up at him from her new position on the floor.

"He gave you that? Oh wow!"

His grin got even wider.

"It's even better than that, Sis. When you're sixteen _you_ can get one if you want as well."

If it were physically possible both of their jaws would have been on the floor. Link began to chuckle as they got a grip on their shock and composed themselves. As Aryll sat down on the left hand bench again, Link set himself down on the floor and unwrapped the scale. He sat there looking at it for a moment before reaching to pick it up in both hands.

"Well here goes."

The moment he picked it up it began to glow. The scale suddenly dissolved into the light which spread up he arms before fading. His arms began to tingle. Aryll leaned forward.

"So?"

He looked up at her.

"My arms feel like they've got pins and needles. It just feels a little stran..." He was cut off as he yawned, overcome by a sudden sense of being very sleepy. "I uh... ngggg."

Aryll and her grandmother looked on as Link slumped forward, out like a light. Aryll giggled and got up.

"There's no way I'm lifting you into your bunk." She took hold of him under his arms and dragged him over to the bench she had been sat on and unceremoniously dumped him on it. "You can sleep on there tonight."

Her grandmother gave her a look.

"Now, Aryll, straighten him out properly and get his blanket. You can't leave him sprawled in that position. He'll wake up with a stiff back."

Aryll gave her a wry smile.

"Yes, Grandma."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A pair of crabs, wrapped in palm leaves, were steaming in the coals at the edge of the fire. The man shovelled a few more hot embers around them using a flat stick before returning to his task. He picked up a weed tree from the stack he had cut and with a deft flick of his wrist lopped off the top and split it from end to end with his knife. He took a scraper shaped like a loop and ran it down the centre of each of the halves, removing the soft centre in a strip which he then set to dry in the sun on a nearby rock that already had many such strips on it. In another quick motion he peeled the bark off of the two pieces and set it on a pile next to the rock. The remaining wood was tossed into the little lean-to nearby where there was a stack of other log halves.

He again checked his crabs and, satisfied they were cooked, used the stick to flip them out of the ashes and left them to cool for a moment. As he had done many times before, he looked beyond the glow of his fire and out across a sea coloured a muddy brown by the light of the setting sun in its sky of fire.

He sighed.

"I miss you all so much..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Light glinted through the window set high in the north wall of the house as the sun began to rise above the horizon once more. Link stirred, woken by his daily habit of getting up as soon as the sun shed its first rays across the sea. Groggily, he opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.

"Why am I on... the bench?" He blinked. "That's right, I used the scale and then... I guess it made me fall asleep." He turned his head and looked over to where his family were sleeping. He then sat up, or rather tried. After several attempts he managed to push himself upright. "Sheesh, Komali wasn't kidding when he said growing wings was hard."

Link's arms felt as though they were as heavy as lead and wrapped in cotton wool. All sensation dulled to the point where his arms felt almost numb. He looked down and saw that the sleeves of his shirt were straining at the seams. After struggling for a few minutes he managed to get it off. He was immediately beset by intense pins and needles as the circulation returned to his arms. He began cursing in discomfort. Like a Rito, he now had the feathers of his wings hanging from his arms. Trapped inside his well made shirt, the pressure had restricted the blood flow to his arms, that being the reason for his unresponsive limbs. After a few minutes his arms were no longer felt like lead, though they were still weak, as if he had lifted something too heavy and strained them.

Link got up and quietly rummaged through his clothes chest next to the end of the bunk bed, careful not to wake his sister. He muttered darkly as he realised that he had no short sleeved shirts. He grabbled one at random and took down the sewing basket from its place on the shelf above the clothes chests belonging to each of them. He then returned to the bench and using skills honed by sail making, cut the sleeves off short and put on a new hem. His weakened fingers causing him to stab himself with the needle several times in the process. The shirt modified, he put it on after yet more cursing as he figured out, through trial and error, how to get his newly feathered arms through the openings without bending the feathers backwards up them. Something he discovered was not very pleasant.

Now fully clothed, Link pilfered a bread roll from the basket by the hearth, his practice sword from the hook on the wall, and slipped out the door. Once outside he jumped off the balcony onto the beach below where no one looking out of their window would see him. After looking out at the sea for a moment, eating his bread as he did so, he began running through the easiest of his practice drills. Having reasoned that exercise would get rid of the weakness in his arms quicker.

As the sun rose further above the horizon his confidence grew as he felt his normal strength returning. He had partly expected the feathers to get in the way of his sword work, yet they weren't at all. Happy with this discovery, Link changed to one of his hardest routines. He was halfway though it when he was hit in the face with water. Pulling his wet hair out of his eyes, he glared at culprit who just grinned back at him.

"Hoy there, Small Fry. You gonna show me those new wings of yours?"

Link rolled his eyes and walked up to the water's edge so that he was closer to the Merman. The Mermans were the only 'fish' to exist in the ocean and were very smart. They were also the best source of information in the Great Sea. So Link wasn't surprised the local one already knew about him getting wings. Thanks to an introduction by the King of Red Lions, Link now had an agreement with them. If he wanted information he simply had to go up to one and feed it. In exchange the Merman would answer one question, more questions meant more food had to be given. It was a good arrangement and one both sides were happy with.

"Hoy there, Fin. Why am I not surprised you already know?"

Fin gave him another wide grin.

"I saw ol' Valoo sneak up from the south so no one in the village would see. Then when he was leaving I heard what he said." He chuckled. "In fact the whole village already knows, since most now understand basic hylian. The entire eastern part of the village could hear him. I'm surprised none of them have spoken to you yet. The whole village was buzzing with gossip while you were up there finishing trying out that telescope of yours. They did make sure not to tell your family though."

Link shook his head and chuckled.

"They wouldn't have wanted to spoil the surprise. Everyone knows I don't like people making a big deal out of strange things that happen involving me. My life over the last five years has been strange full stop. Saving the world, re-founding a kingdom... wings are just another thing on the list of unusual happenings in my life."

Fin laughed.

"That's true. So are you going to show me them. I guessing you haven't even looked at them yourself."

Link smiled wryly.

"You're right, I haven't... Well then, let's have a look."

After a few tries Link opened up his right wing, followed shortly by his left. He then raised and lowered them a few times, getting the feel of them. As for Fin, he actually gawked in wonder. Something Link would tease him about later.

"Nice, wings... Very nice. The Rito don't have them like that."

Like the Rito, Link's wings had white primary feathers with black tips. However, unlike the Rito, for whom the rest of their wing feathers were dark brown, Link's were a much lighter golden brown that glowed warmly in the light of the rising sun. Link folded them back again and looked at Fin.

"Well I'd better get back to the house. My sister and Grandma will be up soon. See ya around, Fin"

"See ya around, Small Fry."

Fin waved and disappeared beneath the water as Link walked away.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The afternoon sun shone down as the entire village gathered round to see Link try out his wings for the first time. Link had decided to wait until the afternoon to make sure his full normal strength had returned. He didn't relish the thought of dropping out of the air because his wings gave out on him. As his family and friends looked on, he turned to face the north-east, into the wind blowing from the sea. He opened his wings and angled the front edge down until he felt the flow of air start to lift him slightly. He then bent his knees and jumped, flapping his wings as he did so. However he didn't get the chance to do what he had wanted to try on this first attempt. Instead of being able to try flying slowly forward into the wind and gliding, Link sensed the wind about to shift and due to a lack of experience couldn't react in time. The wind shifted sideways in a strong gust and sent him careening into the side of the second terrace.

The entire village winced as he hit the rock. He looked up at them and chuckled.

"Well that's my first flight and first crash out of the way." They all laughed. "That was nowhere near as bad as when Tetra had me fired in a barrel from her ship's catapult at the Forsaken Fortress... Now _that_ was a crash."

As they all broke out into fits of mirth, Link got up and got ready to try again...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man pounded the lengths of bark he'd collected from the weed trees, separating them into loose fibres he'd use later to make cloth or rope. The strips of dried pith were now in a basket hung from the ceiling of his tiny hut. He stopped for a moment and sighed... then went back to work...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well there's chapter 3... (Writing Bug starts tap dancing on author's head) ... Must do chapter 4!**

**Writing Bug: (Grins)**


	4. New Journey Begins

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's chapter 4. I'm happy... I've got 7 reviews and almost 100 hits on this story already. ^^**

**Writing Bug: (Singing)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: Will you shut up? I'm gonna write the chapter so there's no need to rub it in.**

**Writing Bug: (Still singing)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: ... ... I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply:**

**Ri2**

**O.o **

**That would be creepy... REEEAAAALLY creepy... That is NOT gonna happen. (Shudders and makes the sign against evil)**

**Yep, it's the man again, he's gonna pop up at least once a chapter.**

**Yay, preeeettty wings...**

**The fish guy? Well in the Nintendo Gallery you find out they're called Merman... but I'd say it's just a name of them as a group, so there'd have to be girl Merman too... Getting that figurine was a nightmare. (Flashback of sitting with picto box for half and hour trying to predict the random hopping of a merman, keep the camera zoomed in on it, and praying the thing would be facing towards me when I finally did get him in the frame.) Got him in shot 5 times... only on the last one was he facing me... O-o; Had that stupid grin on his face too, like he was tormenting me on purpose... Getting mocked by a computer generated fish... (Sweatdrops)**

**Thanks for the review**.

Chapter 4: New Journey Begins.

The Red Lion was moored at the dock having been moved out of the boatshed in readiness for his departure. Link was inside, sat at the map board in the captain's cabin. It was the larger of the two cabins the ship boasted, the Red Lion having a second just in case there was someone wanting passage to another island, in which case Link would transport them for a reasonable fee. He looked down at the map and laid a long ruler on a straight line from Outset to Dragon's Roost. He had drawn this chart himself and took great pride in its pristine lines and careful annotation. He took a pointer and using the scale he'd carved on the edge of the map table, opened it to mark ten sea leagues. Once it was set he put one point on Outset and the second on the line marked by the ruler. He then lifted the first point and keeping the second point in place, spun the first point round to set it on the marked line. This he repeated, keeping count, until the point would have overshot Dragon Roost. He adjusted the pointer to mark the short distance left and compared it to the scale.

"One hundred and thirty-two sea leagues to Dragon Roost." His wind sense told him that the wind had shifted again during the night, and also told him its speed." And the wind is blowing to the north at speed of twenty marks... Hmmm, from the sea trials I did in the Red Lion last week, her top speed with the wind at the stern is twelve sea leagues a day with a wind of fifteen marks." He began making calculations, jotting down the answers on the slate beside him as he used a slide rule to work them out. "So that means for this bearing, the wind is at one point to starboard, meaning the effective wind is seventeen point five marks. So that gives me a sailing speed of fourteen sea leagues a day." He wrote a few more numbers down. "That makes it nine and a half days to Dragon Roost by dead reckoning... if the wind holds."

He sat back, clearly satisfied with the result. He stretched his arms above his head and got up. He still had a lot of supplies to get on board if he was to leave on the morning tide tomorrow. He emerged from the forward hatch of the Red Lion and regarded the pile of crates sat on the pier alongside. With that he walked over the gang plank and picked the first one up, taking it to the aft hatch, which was for cargo, where he had his winch set up with a net and rope. After setting the first crate down he returned to the pile to get another. When he had several in the net he lifted it with the winch and once it was over the open hatch he lowered it into the hold. He then climbed down the ladder set into the side of the opening and set to work stacking and securing the crates.

The late afternoon sun was shining down on the ship before he got the last of his preparations completed. Once his supplies were stored and the hatch closed he had set about checking all of the ship's rigging, nimbly moving in short leaps from one section to another without ever touching the deck. He had had to unstep the top of the mast to get the ship in the boatshed and he wanted to be absolutely sure that everything was now in its proper place. He looked around at his ship in pride. It was set up with a lanteen rig and a jib, in the middle however was an addition of his own design. A collection of long narrow braces and sturdy ropes were held upright against the mast. He looked at the addition with anticipation, he couldn't wait until he got the right kind of wind to try it out.

Inspection done, he disembarked and headed up the path to his house. Where his grandmother was putting together a special meal to celebrate the upcoming maiden voyage of the Red Lion...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A large flat stone was set at the side of the fire, on it were more than a dozen rounds of flat bread. Every so often a hand would reach down and flip them over so they wouldn't burn. The man looked up from his efforts with a small smile. This day's work would feed him for several more...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A table had been set up in front of the benches. On it were a number of dishes filled with various island favourites. The three of them passing stories back and forth as they enjoyed this last evening together before Link's departure.

"So anyway, Joel bet that he could jump out to that last big rock out near the middle of the walkway." Aryll waved her free hand around as her other brought a forkful of cooked vegetable up to her mouth. As soon as her mouth was empty she continued. "Well I knew he wouldn't make it and I told him so... and y'know what, he tried anyway. He did a run up on the top of the nearest rock and jumped... he didn't even get close. He just landed SPLAT in the water... I told him..."

Link and her grandmother chuckled.

"Aryll dear, it's because you told him that that he tried... He wanted to prove you wrong."

Aryll blinked.

"Really? ...Wow that was dumb."

"Now, Aryll..."

Link smiled wryly as sister got given a lecture on being nice to people. He decided to save her.

"Did I ever tell you about that time I accidentally set off my hookshot?" They both shook their heads and looked at him intently. "Well you see, I was climbing up some vines up a wall on one of the islands, I can't remember exactly which, when I slipped and fell. My hookshot came off my belt and I grabbed it, but set it off by mistake. It latched onto a tree and ended up dragging me... through half a dozen bushes." They began to laugh. "I swear, I was pulling twigs out of my hair for a week."

Link watched as his sister was overcome with giggles. He was really going to miss being on Outset...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The sun had not long cleared the horizon, the dim rays shining on the gathered villages, come to see him safely off on his journey. As he hoisted the sail and unfurled the jib, the wind took hold and the Red Lion began to move away from the dock. Link looked over his shoulder and waved as they cheered and bid him good luck and a safe journey. He took hold of the tiller and turned the ship to face the north-east, the wind rushing into sails from just over his right shoulder as the boom swung to the left. Once clear of Outset which had been blocking the wind somewhat, the sails grew taught and the ship began picking up speed. All to soon the Red Lion was ploughing through the waves.

As Outset retreated behind him, Link grabbed the deadman's line and put it on the tiller before taking out his chip log out and throwing it over the side, beginning a measured chant as he did so. The knotted string attached to the chip log passed through his fingers as the moments passed. At the end of the short chant he gripped the string, stopping it from going further. He pulled it back in, counting the number of knots that had passed. When it was done he worked out the ship's speed in his head. He grinned.

"Fourteen sea leagues..."

He put the chip log away and sat himself back by the tiller, removing the deadman's line and taking control of it once more. As the waves passed under the keel, he began singing an old sailing song... Not sure where he had learned it...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: It's no good, it's still here.**

**Writing Bug: (Grins)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: ...**

**Writing Bug: "WITE'IT!" (Translation: Alaia Skyhawk will update **_**very **_**soon.)**

**For those who are confused by the terms, here are some explanations.**

**Sea league:**** A measure of distance used by sailors on the Great Sea. One square on the map is 10 sea leagues wide. (I've done a mental estimate for scale and put 1 SL as being equal to about 5 miles. Since Link was several hundred feet above sea level when he was looking at Headstone Isle, and that isle could be said to be around the same height, so a distance of 11SL, or 55 miles, is a perfectly reasonable distance to see over open ocean)**

**Mark:**** A measure of wind speed used on the Great Sea. (1 mark is equivalent to 3 miles an hour)**

**Point: ****There are 9 points of direction running from stern to bow. Point 0 (stern: is ignored, if the wind is coming from point 0 then travel speed will be max for the wind speed) The further points round the wind is coming from, the slower the ship goes for the wind speed. If the wind is coming from 8 points round, the ship stops. (Point 8 = straight into the wind.)**

**Effective wind: ****By the laws of physics force applied can be split up into X and Y. If the force is in the same direction as the motion then the full force will be exerted in one direction. e.g: force 10 equals (X is 10, Y is 0) In this case the effective force would be 10 if the motion was in the X direction. 0 in the Y direction.**

**If the force is at an angle then it would be split between the two. e.g: force 10 equals (X is 8, Y is 0) In this case the effective force would be 8 if travelling in the X direction and 2 if travelling in the Y direction. (Derived from Pythagoras Theorem: From the mechanics module of A-Level Maths)**

**Slide rule:**** A device once used to work out complicated equations. It's the ancient equivalent of a calculator.**

**Dead Reckoning:**** The way sailors used to work out where they were based on what direction they were going, how fast, and how long it had been since they left a known landmark. Also used to estimate how long it will take to reach a known destination.**

**Aft:**** Rear**

**Bow:**** Front of boat/ship**

**Stern:**** Back of boat/ship**

**Port:**** Left**

**Starboard:**** Right**

**Lanteen:**** Triangle**

**Jib:**** The smaller sail usually connected to the spar sticking out of the front of the boat/ship.**

**Rigging:**** The collection of ropes and braces that hold a ship's sails, yard arm(s) and mast(s) in place.**

**Yard arm:**** The horizontal cross piece a sail secures to on a square rig.**

**Boom:**** The horizontal bar attached to the bottom of a sail.**

**Chip Log:**** an ancient tool for measuring the boat/ship's speed. It consists of a length of rope knotted at regular intervals, attached to an object that will drag in the water. This is the origin of the measure of speed for sea travel. Knots**

**Tiller:**** Connects to and controls the rudder.**

**Deadman's line:**** A rope attached to a secure point. The loose end is tied to the tiller to hold a boat/ship on its current course without someone having to keep hold of the tiller.**

**Keel:**** The underside of the boat/ship.**

**The way I work out the speed the boat:**

**Effective Wind Speed (marks) equals (1- (0.125 x point number)) x wind speed (marks)**

**(0.125 equals 12.5 percent of wind speed effectively lost for each point.)**

**Travel Speed (sea leagues) equals Effective Wind (marks) – (Effective Wind (marks) / 5)**

**The second part is speed lost to drag.**

**(/ means 'divided by')**

**(I would also like to mention that these equations are not 100% accurate. In the real world the first one is only true up to a point. Strictly speaking, unless the sail was an aerofoil, by the time the wind got round to points 6 & 7 you wouldn't actually move. I'm letting that slide because of how it works in the game. The second one is based off an estimate of the drag the ship produces. I've emphasised that it's a ship built for speed so I used that to estimate how much wind power would be lost to friction, and also how efficient the sail would be. Basically I thought about how fast I could expect a sail ship to go and based my estimates off of that.)**


	5. Surprise

**Alaia Skyhawk: It's another chapter, the second in one day... lol. Damn Writing Bug... good for the readers though.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 5: Surprise.

The water swept past as the Red Lion cut through the waves, sending small plumes of spray up from the bow. While the Red Lion may not have been as fast as the King of Red Lions had been, it was still the fastest ship of its size anywhere on the Great Sea. All in all, Link figured that when comparing size, the Red Lion was as fast as the King had ever been. Dawn had broken revealing clearly the sight of the great peak of the island ahead as Link reminisced about his adventures with the King. He sighed and turned his attention back to the rapidly approaching island. Though still half a day away, its peak towered above the horizon. It had become visible early morning the day before and during the time since he had seen a number of postal flyers passing to the east and south, and even one right over him heading for Outset no doubt.

As Link looked at Dragon Roost Island he didn't know whether he wanted to hurry up and get there or turn tail and run. He was both eager to tell them about Valoo giving him wings and yet at the same time just wanted to curl up in his cabin and hide. He shook himself and chuckled.

_Get a grip, Link... I know that they're going to be surprised and I know they'll be happy for me. After all, it's never happened before that Valoo had given wings to anyone outside of the Rito tribe. This is something to celebrate... and besides I have to ask for some flying lessons._

Link laughed wryly. After his crash on his first attempt things didn't really get much better. While he could get off the ground easily enough he couldn't even fly in a straight line, much less land without stumbling.

The sun began slowly rising overhead as the shore of the island came into view. Finally, just after noon, the Red Lion reached the dock. Link quickly furled the sails and let the ship's momentum carry it to the pier. As it pulled alongside, Link threw the looped end of the aft mooring line over the bollard at the end of the pier. As the slack was taken up by the forward motion the ship slowed even further. Link ran over the mid deck, throwing the wood and sack-cloth buffers over the rail to protect the hull from being rubbed against the side of the dock. Once he reached the bow he grabbed the forward mooring line and leapt from the rail onto the dock where he tied it off to the second bollard as the ship came to a gentle stop.

There was the sound of flapping wings coming from the cliff behind him. A voice called out as he turned.

"A perfect docking, as usual." A young Rito man landed on the ground at the end of the pier. "You finally got your ship finished. What does she sail like?"

Link smiled at his friend of nearly five years.

"Hi there, Komali." He looked over at the ship before turning back to Komali. "She sails like a charm. She glides through the water like passing over glass."

Komali looked him over.

"You've gotten an inch or so taller since I last saw you... and what did you do to your sleeves? I didn't this you were into that kind of st..."

Komali blinked several times as his mind registered that it was not wide sleeves he was seeing, but feathers, just like those hanging from his own arms. Link gave him a wry smile.

"Valoo stopped by Outset a couple of weeks ago, on my birthday. He said he'd told you all that he'd gone to stretch his wings... In fact he came to the island to give me what he called both a thank you and a birthday present. Since he only ever thanked me in words for getting rid of that monster in the Cavern, he decided that it was time he gave me a reward... He also said his giving me wings meant I was adopted into the Rito tribe. He even said my sister can get a scale from him when _she_ turns sixteen."

Komali continued to look stunned for a moment before he glanced up at the peak and shook his head. He turned back to Link.

"I should have guessed he was up to something. He seemed far too pleased when he got back from his trip... and your sister too huh?" He chuckled and spread his wings. Flapping them for emphasis. "So are you going to show me?"

In answer Link spread his own wings and turned on the spot so Komali could get a good look. He grinned.

"So what do you think?"

Komali grinned back.

"Put is this way, the Rito girls are gonna be fighting over you with wings that colour... There hasn't been a blond winged Rito in over two centuries and according to our records, she had half the aerie's men vying for her attention." Link looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. Komali held out for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "You're for too easy to fool, Link. There's no sport in it anymore."

Link registered this statement and tackled Komali to the ground, resulting in a friendly wrestling match. The scuffle continued for several minutes until it was interrupted by a new voice.

"Prince Komali, Link... I should have known it was you two making all that noise." They looked up at the speaker from their position on the ground. "I see you've shown Komali your wings."

The two of them got up off the ground and brushed the dust off their clothes. Komali looked at the Rito girl standing before them.

"You knew, Medli? And you didn't tell me?"

Medli swept a stray strand of auburn hair over her shoulder and giggled.

"Of course I knew... I'm Valoo's attendant remember." She gave them a sly look. "Besides, when he couldn't think of what he wanted to give you, Link... I suggested it to him." She giggled again at the look on their faces. "Being both his attendant, and the Sage of Earth, has its perks." She turned and began heading for the new steps that had replaced the old ramps and bridge. She looked back. "Come on, you have to tell the rest of the tribe eventually... It may as well be now."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man walked along the beach. The tide had just gone out and he was going to check his crab pots. The first of the cleverly woven baskets held two crabs, the second held three. He picked up the baskets with a triumphant smile. There was nothing better than having crab for supper.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

They passed through the tunnel carved into the rock of the peninsula and out into the light on the other side. To their left a long wooden walkway, suspended above the water, followed the cliff to the large doorway cut into the rock face. The cliff above was a mass of walkways and launch points. Level after level of them rising to where the great skylights of the Gathering Cavern were cut into the sloping top of the cliff. At points all along these platforms, doorways and windows had also been cut into the rock. The Rito Tribe's aerie was built within a natural cave system that had been modified and expanded over the centuries until it formed a substantial town housing nearly three thousand Rito. This equalling nearly a fifth of the Great Sea's population, which was scattered in the few island towns and villages as well as the floating villages that migrated among the islands that were too small to live on. Harvesting weed trees and setting small groups down to farm the quick growing crops the people of the Great Sea had developed over the years. Picking them up again after a few weeks.

This was one of the things that made the Postal Service so important. The Rito would keep an eye on the farming groups as they did their runs, letting the floating villages know when a group was ready to be collected, or were in need of help. It was a voluntary aid that allowed these settlements to survive. Obviously, only a few of the Rito were postal flyers, with a few more working in the service's sorting office. The rest of the tribe farmed sea frames like those used on all the other islands, and also carried out the yearly cull of the Kargorock population around the Great Sea. Reducing the numbers of the dangerous birds and providing meat that would be dried and shared equally among the settlements in an act of continued friendship.

Link, Komali and Medli reached the entrance to the Gathering Cavern and went in. Inside a stone ledge spiralled up and around the walls for nearly eighty feet until it reached the large ledge where the sorting office was, twenty-five feet below the skylights. Medli grabbed Link's hand and dragged him up the path with a laugh as Komali dashed to keep up. It wouldn't take long for the entire aerie to learn of its new member...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: The Bug stopped... Finally. But I still think I'm gonna put another chapter up tomorrow... I'm in that kind of mood. Well I hope you liked this. I'll update tomorrow... lol.**


	6. Flying Lessons

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here I am again. This is turning into an update marathon... it's fun though. Also, after checking my plot notes I realised I used the wrong length of time in chapter 1. It should be 1000 years so I've corrected it. I also read over my term descriptions at the end of chapter 4, looking at it now, part reads like a physics text book and another reads like a maths lesson... scary.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Replies:**

**Ri2**

**That is yet another creepy thought.... (Makes the sign against evil again) Let's just leave it as that they're a race called Merman and that there are boys **_**and**_** girls.**

**What they eat? Seaweed and such probably. Who said they can't be vegetarian?**

**Yes he's good with numbers though he was using a slide rule so that makes it a lot easier.**

**It's surprising what you pick up when your an armchair sailing enthusiast (Who's only been on a sail boat once... I really want to do that again, it's fun... if your not the type to get sea sick that is...lol)**

**The reason he didn't warp is because he's trying to stick to a normal life now. So he wouldn't use the Windwaker unless it was an emergency or something.**

**Heh heh, I couldn't resist that joke. Having Komali tease Link was too much of a temptation, plus there's the fangirl reference... lol**

**Lil Fang:**

**I'm glad you think this is cool. It's been rattling around my head for a while and I ended up just **_**having**_** to start writing it.**

**The man is getting on your nerves? Well feel free to say if something bugs you, so long as it's in a reasonable way. (i.e not flaming) Well I can tell you that those scenes are there for two reasons. 1) I wasn't going to introduce him then ignore him. It wouldn't fit with the build up of the story. 2) Those scenes of him getting on with life stranded on that island are a representation of what he keeps telling himself. They're there to contrast with the one that is going in this chapter, though I won't say anymore.**

Chapter 6: Flying Lessons.

The figure glided lazily on the wind before folding its wings and plummeting out of the sky. The air raced past Komali as he dropped then suddenly reopened his wings and swooped in a tight arc, passing inches in front of Link's face as he tried to keep gliding in a straight line on the thermals around the island. Komali's passage created a sudden side wind that caused Link to wobble a little, but after a moment it was clear he had kept his balance and was still going in a straight line. Komali flew down alongside him and grinned.

"I think you've got the hang of gliding downwards and on thermals, Link. Do you want to go and try out flying up to a ledge now?"

Link looked over at his friend.

"Sure."

Link tilted his wings and turned heading for the wind shrine a short distance below him. They had been practicing over the water like all new flyers did. Meaning if he fell he'd just get wet, not hurt. He descended to the small island and landed neatly. That had been his first lesson, taking off and landing. The latter providing a great deal of amusement for his teacher.

Komali landed beside him.

"You're going to fly up and down between here and the walkway," Komali pointed, "landing at each end. You'll keep doing it until you can fly up at steady pace without lurching in the air as you climb." He glanced at Link. "It's a lot harder than it looks... Ready?" Link nodded. "Alright then, do the same thing as when you take off except keep it going. You're going to get tired pretty fast since it takes a lot more effort than when you're moving forward and the wind gives you lift. This time all the lift has to come from you."

Link looked up at the ledge and mentally gauged the distance as he had been taught for landing. Up until now he had been taking off from a height and then taking the walkways back up. This would be his first time flying upward to a landing point. Link bent his knees a little and then in a flurry of wing beats took off. As Komali watched Link managed to reach the walkway on his first try with no lurching, but from the way his chest heaved it had clearly taken all his effort to make it. After a moment to regain his breath, Link glided back down to the shrine.

"You weren't kidding when you said it's harder than it looks."

Komali chuckled.

"You think that was hard... wait until we start building up your stamina for long distance flying..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man whittled away at the piece of wood in his hand, not really remembering what it was that he had started making, as he stared off at the horizon.

_I'll find a way home... I will... I_

He frowned and stared at the sand in front of him. The same sand he had looked at for who knows how many years. Frustration kept locked away for all that time welled to the surface and his facade cracked. With a yell he took that frustration out on his surroundings and in moments his working area by the fire pit was reduced to wreckage. He looked around at the destruction, and his frustration turned to despair. He slumped to the ground and began to sob.

"Why?" He whispered. "...Why?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"You have _got_ to be joking!"

Link looked at the eight foot long rope that had been securely tied to his ankle, the other end of which was attached to the walkway railing. They were near the wind shrine just as they had been for all the other lessons but this time was different. Komali gave him a look filled with humour, after yesterday's gliding and general flying lessons, with Link mastering all the basics, it was time to give the hylian his first stamina building lesson.

"Think of it as an incentive to keep going. If you don't push yourself you won't have the strength to fly long distances. A necessity when flying around the Great Sea."

Link looked at him like he'd gone mad.

"I can understand using the rope so I'm not tempted to glide... But is _that_ really necessary?"

Link pointed to the group of fledgling Rito on the beach below who were making stacks of wet sand balls. Komali shrugged.

"It's part of the incentive. If you try to land on the walkway I'll push you off, and if you stop hovering you hang from the rope at just the right height for them to pelt you with those sand balls... I'll only let you land when I'm sure you absolutely _can't_ fly anymore without resting. As soon as you've rested for a bit we'll start again. You'd best get used to the idea Link because until you leave on your first run three days from now, you're going to be building your stamina up."

Link sighed in defeat and muttered implications at what he'd like to do to the one who invented this training technique. Medli, who had come along the walkway to see how they were doing, heard him.

"You'd have a hard time Link, he's a _lot_ bigger than you." Link looked at her confused. She giggled. "All the ways we use to teach new flyers were taught to the Rito originally by Lord Valoo." The aforementioned dragon chose that moment to call. His voice reverberating through the air. "Oops, gotta go."

Medli waved and disappeared in a flash of light. Komali looked at where she had been stood with a bemused expression on his face.

"You know I wonder sometimes if it was a good thing that Medli decided to tell everyone about her being a sage... Because we know, she can use her powers and she has a habit of appearing out of nowhere. It startles the feathers off whoever she appears next to."

Link gave him a wry look.

"I'm sure everyone will get used to it eventually. Now let's get on with this tor... I mean training."

Komali sniggered as Link lifted off the walkway and began to hover with a look of resignation on his face.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The sun blazed down on the top of the island's peak. It's heat unoticable due to the strong wind that constantly assaulted the summit. The Guardian Spirit looked down at the young woman who was both his attandant, and one of the two sages responsible for the power of the master sword.

"When I was returing from my latest flight five days ago I noticed one of the floating villages to the south seemed to be damaged. Not many flyers have gone that way recently and I believe no one has noticed yet. It would be prudent I think for a small group of Rito to go and check on the village.

Medli looked up at the great dragon.

"Very well, I'll let the tribe know... and Lord Valoo... Is there something bothering you? You seem a little distracted."

Valoo regarded her with a kindly look, like a grandfather looking at a favourite grandchild.

"I sense that something may happen soon. It does not feel like it is malign and yet it has me somewhat worried."

Medli frowned and looked away.

"So you feel it as well..."

He looked at her in surprise.

"You know of it already?"

She nodded.

"I've been sensing a kind of tension for several days now... almost like the land is waiting... Waiting for something to happen, but I don't know what." She shook her head. "The spirits in the Earth Temple haven't been much help either and I've received word from Makar that he's sensing the tension as well. Though obviously he's feeling it from the wind the way I'm feeling it from the land." She frowned. "In a way... it's kind of like the world is telling us that something is unfinished."

Valoo thought this over for a moment as he sent his senses outwards. After a moment he spoke.

"I agree... It's like the echo of a voice... asking for something... that has yet to be done..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Bring on the suspense!! I like being cryptic if you haven't already guessed. It's a hobby of mine to be vague and keep people guessing until the last moment. What can I say, it's fun.**


	7. Postal Run

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's chapter 7. Woo hoo, I'm on a roll.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review reply:**

**Ri2:**

**Yep, Link has learned the basics.**

**Yeah, poor guy. He kept telling himself to look on the bright side, but the truth is he's getting desperate.**

**Lil Fang 0:**

**There will be some fights in this earlier on, but the 'serious' fights won't be until later.**

**Link learning to fly is funny? ... yeah it is, at least when you picture him getting pelted with sand balls lol.**

**Author note: Just thought I'd mention that I only reply to anonymous reviews in the chapter. All reviews posted by site members will be replied to using the link. Unfortunately due to the site's messaging service being screwed lately it may be a while before the replies appear. Sorry if anyone though I didn't reply since I normally do.**

Chapter 7: Postal Run.

Link made the final checks on the Red Lion as he prepared to leave for Windfall. He was stiff and sore from three days of intense training and was looking forward to doing some plain sailing. Once he was done he looked over at the people on the dock. One of then grinned.

"Remember, Link, you have to spend at least two hours each day flying alongside the Red Lion. It shouldn't be difficult since flying is a lot faster than sailing, you'll be gliding along mostly. And don't think about missing days out, if you don't work on your flying properly the last three days will have been wasted."

Komali was waving a finger at Link like a parent warning a child. Link smiled wryly.

"Y'know you're starting to sound like my grandmother." Komali stared at him open mouthed. Link sniggered. "You know what, Komali, you're far too easy to tease. There's just no sport in it anymore."

The Rito prince glared at him, then began to chuckle.

"Ok, ok, I asked for that one. I'll see you after you finish your first run... you remember where you're going?"

Link gave him a slightly annoyed look.

"Of course I remember... Windfall, Eyestone, Outset, Forest Haven, Saiweve, go round those a second time and then come back here. It's not that hard to remember."

Komali put his hands out in front of him.

"Alright, alright, I was just making sure... oh and I've got something for you." He pulled something out of the back of his belt. "It's a pair of arm guards, they'll keep your arms warm since you can't wear long sleeves anymore."

Link leaned over the railing and took the offered armguards.

"Thanks, I'll see you all in about two months at the most. Wish me luck."

Link cast off the mooring lines and hoisted the sail, the Rito on the dock waving and cheering their support. As his ship moved away from the dock, Link grinned back and gave them a casual salute, and with that he headed to the west, for Windfall Island.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man sat there, nothing mattering to him any more as he ground some of his supply of dried pith into flour, more out of habit than any desire to eat.

_Why do I even bother? ...I'll never get off this island... never see them again._ He looked up at the sea, the shadows in his eye's lifting slightly. _That's why I keep going... for my family. _A determined look came to his eyes as he stood up. _I have to get back to them somehow... I can't allow my knowledge of our past to be lost._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

After five days of clear sailing with only a single minor rainstorm, Link arrived at Windfall. The town had changed little in the last four years, still consisting of it's winding streets of stone houses, overlooked by the island's windmill and beacon. The only new addition was the compound built on the south-western shore along from the island's dock. It wasn't large and the only thing to set the group of buildings apart from the rest of the settlement was the banners that hung on the outer walls and the pennant that flew from the flagpole in the centre.

Link looked over at the compound's private pier, the Sea Spirit wasn't there meaning that Tetra wasn't in residence at the moment. Link shrugged, they'd cross paths sooner or later as they always did. He turned his attention to mooring at the dock. Windfall had four piers in it's dock, two of which had side extensions for smaller boats, meaning he had to be careful he didn't hit any of the other dozen boats moored there. After a few minutes of careful manoeuvring, Link tied up the Red Lion at his chosen point before picking up a large pack and approaching the Portmaster to pay the mooring fee. The man looked up, Link grinned at him.

"Hoy there, Candy, so they've made you the new Portmaster... Not bad for a twenty-one year old."

Candy scratched the back of his head. He was still as big as he always was, though four years had toned him up a bit.

"Yeah well since I spent so much time standing on the end of one of the piers, the town mayor felt that I would be the one with the most knowledge on how to best keep the dock in order." He laughed. "An' y'know what, he was right. The sailors who come through here all say that this is the best this port has been in decades." He regarded Link. "So then, how many days mooring do you want."

Link hoisted his pack higher on his shoulder.

"Just the one, I'm here on my first postal run. Got to get to the post box and set up if I'm going to get the collection done in time for the evening tide."

Candy smiled.

"Aye they'll keep ya on your toes... that'll be twenty rupees." Link handed over the money. "By the way, Zunari's been asking after ya. I think he has a cargo that needs to be transported and since he'd heard that you were headin' this way he's been keepin' an eye out for ya."

Link nodded.

"Thanks, Candy. See ya, later."

When he reached the dockside Link turned right, heading to the town arch. Beyond it was the street that would wind its way up to the cafe and Zunari's outdoor shop. Link looked at the sun and decided he had time to see Zunari if he hurried. He jogged through the arch and up the street. It was quite a way to the top of the hill where the cafe was and he passed several people he knew along the way. Mimenco was still in her usual place on the bench near Doc Bandam's potion shop. Kamo was sat on the steps part-way up the hill and to Link's surprise he had a girl with him.

_Looks like he's finally gotten over Linda._

As he reached the top of the hill to the rear of the windmill, Link came across Pompie and Vera who were up to their usual gossiping. Shaking his head and muttering about things never changing, he walked over to the business desk of Zunari's shop. The shop still had it's four shop desks and cloth canopy, and as soon as he saw Link, Zunari, still wearing the coat his mother had made him, practically sped round the corner from the shop desks.

"Dear me, it's you! How have you been?"

Link leaned on the desk.

"I've been fine, Zunari. I heard you might have a cargo for me."

Zunari clasped his hands.

"Why yes, I do. I have four crates of various products that need to go the trader on Bomb Island. I've been trying to find someone heading that way for weeks."

"Well then, you're in luck. I'll be heading that way on my postal run so I can take it. It'll be slower than a direct transport but you won't have to pay shipping costs with me."

Zunari smiled.

"Yes, making you my business partner has certainly been a great benefit... Speaking of which I have your share of the profits for the last year to give you." He rummaged around in the safe that was secreted under the stairway to the cafe. "I have fourteen thousand six hundred rupees for you, it's been a very good year."

Link gave him a long look.

"Zunari, you know I won't take that much, besides I have my postal job. Put six thousand of that into getting more products for the shop. I'll take the rest with me now and give it to my family when I'm next on Outset in a week or so." Zunari tried to say something. Link stopped him. "I'll take no ifs or buts about it. If you don't want to use it on the shop then give it to Mila." Link nodded towards the young woman working at the far end of the shop. "In fact give her it anyway, she needs it more than we do. I heard she's still saving up to buy a house."

Zunari looked over at her.

"Yes she is... she's really changed over the last four years. I remember that half the town couldn't stand her when she was rich, but now she's a favourite with the local children." Zunari looked at Link with an eyebrow raised. "Even though she's hard up she buys sweets and hands them out to the little ones... I'll put the money with the rest of her savings, I look after them in my safe... She'll now be even closer to getting that house."

Link stood up straight.

"Well I'd better get collecting those parcels. My ship is at mooring two on pier three. Have the crates left on deck and I'll stow them myself when I load the parcels."

Zunari handed him his money and waved farewell with a happy smile.

"Very well, have a safe journey."

Link waved back and walked along the shop front. Mila was stood there in a plain blue dress and a pair of sandals. While still of a low quality, they showed she was doing much better now.

"Hi, Mila."

Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she broke out into a smile.

"Hi, Link. How have you been? I haven't seen you in over a year."

Link smiled in return.

"I've been fine and I finally got my ship built, it's down at the dock now."

"I'll have to come down and have a look before you leave."

"I'd be happy to give you a tour." Link's smile widened. "And Mila, I've decided to give you part of my share of this year's shop profits... towards that house you're saving for. Zunari's put it with the rest of your savings."

Mila looked at him, wide eyed with surprise. She brought her hands up to her mouth.

"Oh, Link..." She threw her arms around him and hugged him. She looked up at him with tears of happiness in her eyes. "Thank you so much." Then, as she realised she was still hugging him, she blushed and let go. "Um, I'll see you at the dock when my shift ends. I'll be taking you up on that offer of a tour."

She wasn't the only one who was blushing. Link gave her a shy smile.

"Yeah... I'll see you then."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man looked at what was left of his hut. He had reduced it to it's separate pieces and was about to start turning them into a raft. Even with all the many years worth of carefully collected wood, he knew the craft would barely be sea worthy. But despite the risks, he had to try. He laid the longest pieces out into three piles with the centre pile being the largest. He then picked up the four strongest pieces he had and threaded them across and through all three piles at even intervals. He then began gathering the rope he'd made and began to tie it all together.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link had finished setting up the small trolley he'd use to take the parcels back to his ship. He had his notebook at the ready and several sticks of charcoal on hand. He was ready to start. Link had set himself up next to the post box by the town arch and now he reached up to the bell on its pole and rang it twice, then twice again as he had been told. Shortly people began arriving with packages, most of which were destined for recipients at Eyestone and Outset, though there were a few for Saiweve. The people had been told what route the parcel run would follow and so there were no packages for settlements other than those on his current run. As each parcel was handed over, Link noted down the island and the name of the person it was going to and by the time the last package was handed over the trolley was full. Before returning to the Red Lion, Link made a copy of his list and placed it, along with the postage fees, into the post box to be picked up by the next postal flyer to stop on the island.

Happy with his first collection, Link headed for the docks, pushing the trolley in front of him. There waiting for him on the dock side, was Mila. As the afternoon drew to a close, Link stowed Zunari's crates, along with the parcels, in the cargo hold and proceeded to show Mila around his ship. For over an hour she asked questions and he answered, never getting tired of her curiosity. It was only when he felt the evening tide tugging at the ship that he could bring himself to escort her back onto the pier. As they stood there she suddenly leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. Then, blushing madly, she ran down the pier and towards the town arch. Link stood there dumbstruck and slowly brought a hand up to his face. He smiled... Some how, he was really looking forward to his next visit to Windfall.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The man paddled the raft away from the island, heading west. All it was, was a wide flat bundle of wood stabilised by two smaller bundles on the ends of the connecting lengths of wood between them. All around him, strapped to the raft, were nets filled with food wrapped in palm leaves, and coconut shells filled with water and sealed with little wooden pegs. He had enough for about a week, ten days at the most, if it took longer than that for him to find another island then it would be clear that his chances of being found if he'd remained on the island would have been slim to none... and so at least he'd not have spent the rest of his life alone.

_I was near the sea zone where Saiweve is when the storm broke up my ship, so west is my best bet for getting into the travelled areas of the Great Sea._.. _My dear wife... my son... I'll do all I can to make it back to you..._

He pictured his family in his mind's eye... and kept going.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The wind had changed back to the south and so Link was making good time to his third stop. He had reached Eyestone after only five days and now he was almost back to Outset after only another three. He looked at the sea ahead where the distinctive profile of Outset was set against the afternoon sky. His good time meant he could spend tomorrow on the island and leave on the evening tide. He'd only been gone for just over three weeks but he was still happy to be seeing everyone again.

As he pulled up to the dock people from all over the village came streaming down to greet him. When faced with the barrage of questions he was hard pressed to get the Outset parcels to their recipients. Eventually after nearly two hours, they finally began retuning to their homes, allowing him to tidy his ship and make his way to his house, where his grandmother and sister would be waiting to hear how his new job was going.

Up in the forest, all was dark as night descended. The fairies emerged from the fountain to play among the trees beneath the starlight, as the Great Fairy who lived in the fountain watched over them. Behind this all, deep in the very farthest reach of the glen, a faint light glowed among the shadows... like a promise...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Hazy with dehydration and faint with hunger, the man plied the paddle with ever weakening arms. His food had run out the day before and beating of the sun on his back ate away at his strength. Finally he could go no further... He slumped forward on the surface of the raft as his vision wavered in and out, going grey at the edges. A pendant on a chain fell out of his shirt and as he reached the end of his strength, it began to glow.

"Ahria... Link... I'm sorry... I couldn't make it..."

In moments he was unconscious, unaware of the faint crack of canvas in the distance...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: That took longer than I thought... oh well. There you have it, and before anyone tries to kill me for the Link/Mila stuff, like I've said before this isn't a normal Zelda fic and the Link/Tetra pairing would not work with the storyline, and since in the little scene where Link gets the Bottle off Mila, the way she whispers 'and good luck to you' before she runs off can be interpreted as her have a bit of a crush on him, I went with that.**


	8. Rescue

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, I have 8 different reviewers! (Throws confetti) I'm in a really good mood now, on with the story!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply:**

**Freedom 0:**

**Thanks for the review. I can tell you that it's not Link from the future, I actually pretty much spelled it out in the last chapter that the man is Link's father. (Read the last bit again, it's there)**

**Ri2:**

**So, I've got you wondering.**

**Yep, he's a postman, and yeah it doesn't pay as much but it's more reliable. After all, there's only so much treasure out there.**

**Yep, Zunari is still wearing his coat. Did you mean Windfall when you said Outset?**

**Yeah, Mila's become quite a nice person, so she deserves to do well. I'm glad to know someone's ok with the Link/Mila pairing. I kept wondering if people would think it was rubbish.**

**Yep, he's left the island. As for who is nearby... you'll find out in this chapter.**

Chapter 8: Rescue.

The small exploration ship leisurely drifted across the waves as its crew of four travelled in search of treasure. The ship was twenty feet long with a fold up crane in the centre of the deck. Just in front of the crane was the mast and its square sail. One of the crew was using a telescope looking for likely spots where treasure might be, and while he could see none of those... he saw something else he didn't expect.

He pointed at the dot that could be seen a sea league of the port bow.

"Drifter! Turn the ship, there's a drifter out there!"

The crew leapt into action and the ship turned heading for the small craft floating on the currents ahead of them. When they reached it they found it was a crude raft carrying a single unconscious man. The crew of the ship snagged the raft using the grappling hook from the crane and reeled it in. Once they had it alongside they carefully lifted the man on board. The captain pointed at the first of his crew, who had messy brown hair and green eyes.

"Thom, get some water." He pointed at the second, who had longer brown hair and brown eyes. "Alan, set up a tarp between the mast and the rail and we'll get him into some shade." He looked at the last, who had black hair and blue eyes. "Jason, help me lift him over to the tarp."

The crew set to work and in moments they had the man under the tarp. Thom passed a wooden beaker filled with water to the brown haired captain.

"Here's the water, Krio."

Krio looked up at him with his grey eyes as he took the beaker. He then turned back to the man and splashed a few drops of the water onto his face. The man didn't flinch when the water hit him, but after a few moments he came to and opened his eyes, looking at them, confused. Krio and Jason lifted him into a sitting position.

"Here, drink this. You're one lucky man, y'know that. Normally no one comes out here. So, can you tell us what you're doing out here by yourself?"

After gulping down the water the man looked around at his rescuers before he turned to the captain and answered.

"My name is Eidan and my ship was the Time's Gale. We were hit by a storm in the region near Saiweve and the ship broke up. I managed to grab a piece of the wreckage and was carried off by the storm. I ended up on a small island and I've been there since... that is until I decided enough was enough and took the risk of trying to find another island, hopefully closer to the shipping lanes."

Krio looked at the man with a hint of admiration.

"I'd like to make a correction. You are a _very_ lucky man, Eidan. We're in the Outer Islands nearly fifty sea leagues east of the Forest Haven. The nearest island is Cliff Plateau Isles, _thirty-five_ sea leagues from here, you'd never have made it." Thom brought some more water over and passed it to Eidan. "Do you know how long you were there? Were there any other crew on board?"

Eidan looked at the deck.

"All I know is I was on that island for years, I've no idea how long it's been. As for my ship, it was only my First Mate and I. The Time's Gale was only a small trading vessel so it only need two to man it. My First Mate's name was Lyle Oarcrafter."

Krio's eyes widened.

"Lyle Oarcrafter? He was picked up after being found clinging to a section of mast just over twelve years ago. He's now living in Saiweve with some relatives of his and hasn't sailed since... Hasn't spoken much since then either. Never told anyone what happened to the ship he was on, or what it was called. You'd be lucky to get him to say hello."

Eidan looked at him, aghast.

"Twelve years? I've been out here for twelve years?" He looked up at the horizon. "My son will be sixteen by now, I've missed his childhood. He may even be working in a trade by now..."

The crew all patted him on the back in sympathy. Krio spoke.

"Hey now, don't be depressed. You're coming home and that's all that'll matter to him. Do you have any other family besides your son."

Eidan smiled.

"There's my wife, Ahria and her mother Vallandra. My home is on Outset."

Krio grinned, his grey eyes twinkling.

"Well then, let's get you back there. Allow me to introduce you to us all. I'm Krio, the captain and these are my partners and crew, Thom, Alan and Jason."

The three of them spoke in unison.

"Hi!"

Krio waved a hand at them.

"Go on you scurvy lot! Get this ship turned around and plot a course for the Forest Haven!" He pointed slightly to the south-east and checked the little windmill attached to the top of the wheel house at the ship's stern. "The wind is three points to starboard at twenty-five marks, we can make five sea leagues a day in this and be at the Forest Haven in ten days and Outset eighteen days after that. Now hoist every sail, we have a reunion to get to!"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Good luck on the next leg of your postal run, Link"

Link looked over the ship's rail at his grandmother.

"Thanks, Grandma." He looked at his sister. "Have fun while I'm gone."

Aryll grinned.

"Don't worry, Big Brother, I will... Bye!"

She began waving enthusiastically as the Red Lion moved off. Link waved back at his family with a smile on his face before he turned to look at the sea ahead of him. Down in his cabin, written on the slate on the map table, were Link's calculations for the time to the Forest Haven. At the bottom of the slate were the words, 'ten days'...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, 'the man' has a name! Hope you liked this chapter. Now to write the next one.**


	9. Like Ships in the Night

**Alaia Skyhawk: Two chapters in one day... No the Writing Bug isn't back it's just that chapter 8 took less time than I though... and I'm bored with not much else to do, lol.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 9: Like Ships in the Night.

The Red Lion ploughed through the waves as the sun just cleared the horizon, Link heading for the Forest Haven. Loot, the sailor who ran the boating course to the south, collected his mail from next to the post box on the island, and in the ship's hold there were no less than three parcels for him that Link would be dropping off. He looked ahead at the looming outline of the Forest Haven and mentally gauged the distance.

"Hmmm, I'll be there by noon. I guess I can take an hour and visit the Great Deku and the Koroks since I can fly up to one of the side entrances instead of run halfway around the island." He considered the wind which was still blowing to the south and frowned. "I'm gonna need every bit of time I can scrounge, it'll take a week to tack the wind to Bomb Island in this... But still that isn't going to stop me from making at least a brief visit. It's been more than a year since my last one."

Link altered the course of the Red Lion slightly and continued on his way.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

To the west of them the Forest Haven stood out against the blue of the sea. On the deck, Alan and Jason were singing rowdy bar songs as all of them had a tot of rum to take off the chill from the sea air. Eidan smiled to himself. It had taken some time to adjust to having the company after so much time alone, but now he was completely comfortable with his current situation. It was wonderful to feel a living ship beneath him again and even better to be on a ship with such jovial characters as these. He'd learned that there were all from Anglau, the floating village near the Angular Isles, and that they had been hunting treasure on the Great Sea with moderate success for nearly nine years. He glanced over at Krio and the others.

"You never did tell me what you were doing all the way out there. Surely there are places to hunt treasure that are close to home."

Thom smiled at him wryly.

"Well you see most of the good treasure around the islands of the Great Sea was cleared out by another explorer we're acquainted with." He laughed. "The guy's a genius when it comes to spotting treasure and of course it's finders first when it comes down to it, so we hold no grudge against him. Anyway we decided to come have a look out here and we've managed a fair haul. We've gotten nearly a thousand rupees on this trip."

Eidan raised his eyebrows.

"That's a good haul alright. So where are you planning on going once you've dropped me off on Outset?"

This time Krio spoke.

"Wherever the wind takes us, my friend. The life of the treasure hunter is never better than when you just follow the wind. It's taken us all over the Great Sea, to places where many will never go in their lifetime, and it's always brought us home with treasure in our hold."

Eidan leaned back against the rail.

"Sounds like a good life, but then any life spent on the sea is good."

Krio raised his tot of brandy.

"I'll toast to that."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The Red Lion came to a halt next to the peninsula of rock that served as the dock here at the Forest Haven. Link looked around at the lush greenery that covered the island as he tied the mooring line to the post carved out of the surrounding rock. Dozens on new trees had grown everywhere he could see leaving only the pathway and a few other areas clear. He chuckled to himself.

"Looks like the Deku Tree and the Koroks have been busy."

Link opened the cargo hatch of the ship and descended into the hold to retrieve the three parcels. Once back on deck he made an agile leap to the shore from the ship's rail and approached the post box. Balancing the parcels on one arm, Link opened the moderate sized crate next to the post box and put them into it. Job done, he took flight and headed for the side entrance that overlooked the figurine gallery that was on one of the small islets nearby. It would have taken him hours to walk around the outside to get to the ground level entrance. His trip to the side entrance however took less than five minutes.

Link soared through the opening and into the Deku Tree's grotto, which was also the home of the Koroks, the Children of the Forest. As he flew down to the giant lily pad in front of the great guardian, one of the Koroks used their deku leaf to fly up and meet him.

"Hi, Link. So you've learned how to use your new wings, huh? The Great Deku tree chuckled to himself for nearly a whole day after Lord Valoo came and told him what he was going to give you."

Link smiled at the Sage of Wind, as he continued to glide down to ground below.

"Hi there, Makar." He chuckled. "Valoo seemed to find it amusing as well when he came to see me." Link then blinked as a little winged ball of light came dashing up to Makar and upon seeing the hylian, hid behind the Korok. "What's that? It looks like a fairy but not a kind I've seen before."

Makar laughed.

"He's a forest fairy and his name is Hari. They all hid themselves away in slumber when Hyrule was sealed and now for some reason they've all woken up again. That's why there are so many trees on the island now. The forest fairies make them grow. As for why he's following me, before Hyrule was sealed, when we had our old forms, all the children of the forest had a forest fairy as a guardian and now that they're back they've paired up with us again." Makar grinned and looked over his shoulder at the hiding fairy. "Hari, come out. This is my friend Link, the one I told you about."

Hari peered over Makar's shoulder, his wings trembling.

"The hero who defeated the Great Evil?"

Makar nodded.

"Yep, go say hello."

As Link landed, the little fairy cautiously fluttered over to him and proceeded to fly around him, getting a good look as Makar put his deku leaf away. Finally he stopped in front of Link's face.

"...Hi."

From this distance Link could see Hari clearly. In the centre of the light was a fairy much smaller than those found in the fountains. The light around him, combined with his very large wings made Hari look a lot bigger than he really was. He was actually about half the size of a regular fairy and unlike them, had bright green hair and eyes. Link smiled reassuringly at him.

"Hi, nice to meet you."

Hari stayed there for a moment before he dashed behind Makar and once again peered at Link from over the Korok's shoulder. Makar patted the little fairy and looked at Link.

"I guess he's shy."

Link shrugged.

"I guess. So how have things been around here since my last visit?"

"Why don't we go speak to the Deku Tree? I took a trip to the Wind Temple for a few weeks to clear out the last of the junk Ganondorf's minions left behind and only got back yesterday. I don't know if anything new has happened while I was away, but the Deku Tree would."

The two of them strolled out into the shallow water and onto the lily pad. It rose out of the water bringing them up to the eye level of the Deku Tree. He looked at them and smiled.

"Greetings, Link. It has been some time since you last came to this sacred grotto. How have you been?"

Link sat down on the lily pad and looked up at the guardian.

"I got my new boat built. I called it the Red Lion, after the king. These last few weeks I've been travelling on my first postal run... It's going well."

The Deku Tree continued to look down at the young hylian.

"That is good to hear, and it makes me happy that you would remember the king in such a way. He was a good man and I will always remember him with pride. Now as for the goings on around here. I'm guessing Makar has already told you about the forest fairies and why there are so many trees on the island now." Makar who was behind Link mimed something and made a 'zip it' gesture. The Deku Tree saw it. "...The only thing I can add to that is that my old power seems to be returning. I can only assume that Ganondorf was behind my weakened state and that now he's gone my power is slowly returning. It would also explain why the fairies have awakened."

Link grinned and got up.

"So with your strength coming back you it will be easier for you to work on your dream of the forests creating new land and joining the islands together." Link looked up at the opening in the top of the grotto. The sun was nearing the western side. "I'd best be going." He smiled at the Sage and the Guardian. "I've enjoyed talking to you, but talking won't get those parcels delivered. Bye."

Makar waved as Link flew up to and out of the opening he'd come in through. When he was gone the Deku Tree looked at Makar. The sage looked back.

"I suppose you want to know why I didn't want you to tell him about what we've been sensing..." He sighed. "Link has been through a lot and both Medli and I agreed we wouldn't say anything to him until we actually know something. We don't want him to worry when we ourselves are doing enough of that for all of us."

The Deku regarded him and nodded.

"I agree with you. There is no need to interfere in Link's happiness unless it is absolutely necessary."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link landed on the deck of the Red Lion and prepared to cast off. He untied the mooring line and reached for the rope to hoist the sail, but hesitated.

_Why do I feel like I need to stay a little longer?_ He shrugged and pulled on the rope. _It's nothing, just my imagination._

The Red Lion moved off as Link turned the ship to point north by north-west on the first tack of what was promising to be a very monotonous and long trip towards Bomb Island.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As the ship passed the Forest Haven, Eidan frowned and looked to the north. Something tugged at his heart, like a whisper on the wind. He shrugged.

_It must be my imagination._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there it is... hmmm, still have some free time.... still have nothing else to do... What the heck, here comes chapter 10.**


	10. Reunion

**Alaia Skyhawk: Chapter 10... what else can I say?**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply****: (Just spotted 2 reviews, lol, already)**

**Ri2:**

**Yeah they're still in business, the fact Link cleared most of the big treasures is why they've gone out into the Outer Islands, the region around the great sea where no one lives and there's only a few islands.**

**Yes they're the Salvage Corp guys from the game. I just gave them names and such. I also made their ship a bit bigger since with their old one all I could think of it in the game was, 'Where the heck would they fit any treasure on board?'**

**Yep, his name's Eidan and yes he's Link's dad.**

**Yeah the Forest Haven is doing well... but I sneakily hinted at something with something and it's not the bit about Makar not telling Link about the 'tension'. Heh heh, I like being cryptic. (Evil Grin)**

Chapter 10: Reunion.

The Red Lion moved through the waves at a brisk pace much to Link's relief. It had taken a week of tacking back and forth across the wind in order to head north against it to Bomb Island. Luckily heading north-west to Windfall with a south blowing wind wasn't so bad... and seeing Mila again had cheered Link up no end. Now heading for Outset after stopping at Eyestone, the wind was now helping him rather than hindering him. The trip to Windfall from Bomb Island, via Saiweve, had taken eight days. Eyestone was a similar distance away from the town and with the wind now behind him it had taken only four.

Link felt the wind shift, it was now pointing directly along his heading. A smile came to Link's face.

_Finally, a wind perfect to try out my new sail design._

Link took down the jib and detached the lanteen sail from the boom before hoisting it up against the spars strapped to the mast, where a second boom was tied. He then climbed the rigging and linked the boom to the right-hand set of spars. Link dropped back to the deck and lifted a panel out of it just behind the mast. In the revealed compartment was a bundle with a large number of carefully set metal loops sticking up from it. Link took the clips at the ends of the ropes among the spars and attached them carefully to specific loops, one by one. He ran to the tiller and sat down before reaching for the first of three release ropes next to him. He pulled on the rope.

The two booms swung down to the left and right with a whine of ropes and pulleys. The first set of spars opened up like a fan and the movement pulled on some of the ropes attached to the bundle. The first section of sail was pulled out and the ship lurched forward as the wind took hold. Link checked the support lines between the tips of the spars and the anchor points on the deck behind him. Seeing they had spaced out without tangling, he pulled the second release rope. While the first set only reached halfway along the booms, the second, inside the first, reached three quarters of the way. A second sail was pulled out and once again the ship lurched forward, the second sail forming an arch that overlapped the outer edge of the first. Once again Link checked the lines and then reached for the last release rope. The final set of spars, that reached the ends of the booms, opened and the last sail was pulled out.

Link whooped as the Red Lion raced across the water. He looked up at the three over lapping arches of sail, the middle the farthest away, the outermost the closest. Each sail funnelled the wind into the next until it reached the bottom and whipped under the booms and out over the bow. Link took his chip log and threw it over the side. He had been going at twenty sea leagues a day with the lanteen sail and jib, now he was going to see how fast the arch sail made the ship. He pulled the chip log back in and counted the knots. He laughed in elation.

"_Forty Sea leagues with a twenty-five mark wind!!_ That's _got_ to be a record. At this pace I'll be home by tomorrow afternoon."

Link leaned back on the bench as he held the tiller, and the sea rushed past beneath him.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Eidan leaned on the rail and looked at the shore of Outset ahead of the ship. As he took in the view he just couldn't seem to get enough. For twelve years he had had only his memories of the island and now he could see just how much those memories had faded, become dimmed by time. He looked at the watch tower as they passed it, heading for the dock and sighed as a great sense of happiness washed over him. As the ship stopped at the end of the pier, Eidan could see some of the villagers coming down to see who it was. He turned to Krio and his crew.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you for this."

They put their arms over each others' shoulders. Alan smiled.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that seeing the look on your face at being home is payment enough."

They all nodded. Krio slapped Eidan on the shoulder.

"Go on then. Get on that pier and find your family."

Eidan didn't need to be told twice. He leapt onto the pier and walked down it towards the approaching villagers as Krio, Thom, Alan and Jason followed behind him. When he reached the rock that marked the end of the pier he stopped and looked around. After twelve years he was once again standing on Outset. He looked up as the first of the villagers reached him. After a moment Eidan recognised him. It was Abe who when Eidan had last seen him, was trying to woo Rose and get her to marry him. Abe stepped forward.

"Hello there and welcome to Outs..." He stopped dead. "Eidan? Is that you?"

Eidan smiled.

"Yes it's me, Abe. I know I look a mess, but in my defence I've been stranded in the Outer Islands east of the Forest Haven for these last twelve years."

Abe broke out into a wide smile and envelope him in a hug as the rest of those present cheered and welcomed Eidan home. He looked around.

"Where's Ahria? She always comes down from the house to greet visitors." The crowd fell silent. Eidan frowned. "What's wrong?"

Abe put a hand on his shoulder.

"I hate to have to tell you this... but Ahria's dead. She died six months after you were confirmed missing."

Eidan stared at him, his face a mask of shocked denial.

"How..."

Abe lowered his eyes.

"She died giving birth to your daughter."

Eidan looked surprised.

"I have a daughter?"

"Yes, Valandra gave her the name Aryll. They should both be at your house." Abe looked around at everyone. "I think we should all go to our homes and let Eidan have some privacy with his family."

Abe looked at Eidan one more time and nodded before walking away with the other villagers. Eidan turned and looked at Krio and his friends, tears of grief threatening to fall.

"I guess this is goodbye for now. I hope we cross paths again."

Krio smiled.

"So do I... Farewell, Eidan."

"Goodbye, Eidan."

"See ya around, Eidan."

"Take care of yourself, Eidan."

He watched as they boarded their ship and set sail, before finally turning and heading for the house where his love once lived. He walked along the path until he reached the porch and climbed the steps, but instead of opening the door and going in, he knocked.

He heard the familiar voice of Vallandra through the door.

"Aryll dear, will you go see who that is?"

A young voice that sounded heartbreakingly similar to Ahria's answered.

"Yes, Grandma." He heard the sound of sandals scuffing on wood come up to the door. It opened and he found himself looking at the daughter he'd never known he had. She looked up at him, her face hauntingly like her mother's. "Hello, can I help you?"

He hesitated before he could bring himself to speak.

"I'd like to speak to Vallandra."

He watched as she dashed up to the corner and looked round.

"Grandma, there's someone here who wants to speak to you."

He heard the sound of the old woman getting up followed by the steady tap of a cane on the wooden floor. She came round the corner and saw him, dropping her cane in surprise.

"Eidan! Eidan, you're alive! Oh, come in here this instant, don't make me walk over to you."

He came in a shut the door behind him before hurrying over to her. Aryll looked at him confused.

"Who is he, Grandma?"

She looked at Aryll.

"Aryll, this is your father." She looked him over. "And by the looks of him he's been stranded all these years."

He nodded.

"Yes, the Time's Gale got hit by a storm near Saiweve. I grabbed a piece of the wreckage and was carried off by the storm. Nearly a month ago now I made a raft and just headed in what I hoped was the right direction. I was lucky that Krio and his fellow treasure hunting friends found me and brought me back here."

Vallandra smiled.

"I've heard of them and I'm guessing they've already left."

"Yes they have. They left just after Abe told me that..."

He closed his eyes trying to hold back the tears. The old woman patted his hand.

"So you know... We were all devastated when she died, so soon after we believed we'd lost you. Ever since then the people of Outset helped us keep going since I couldn't work and had two young children to look after. It's only recently that our family has become fully independent again."

He looked at her questioningly.

"Link?"

Aryll piped up.

"Link has his own ship, he built it himself and he's just started delivering parcels for the Rito postal service. He's friends with the tribe and..."

Aryll dear, why don't you go heat up some of that soup by the stove for your father.

"Ok." She launched herself at Eidan and gave him a fierce hug. "Welcome home, Dad."

She let go of him and ran across to the stove. As Eidan allowed Vallandra to lead him to one of the benches, he sighed.

_I may have lost my wife... but I still have family... and I'll do all I can to make sure I never lose them again._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three sisters gathered together for the first time in many years. Long had they stayed apart, but now they were once again united. One of them stepped forward and in a voice that held great strength, the first sister spoke.

"Greetings my sisters. It is good that you have come."

As the second sister answered, her voice echoed with a sense of patience and knowledge.

"Yes, we have a great dilemma before us."

Her voice resounding with daring and determination, the third sister stood by her siblings.

"Indeed... There is much we must discuss..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As Outset loomed ahead of him, Link put away the arched sail and reset the boom to take the lanteen sail. All morning he had felt like something was calling him, pulling at him. It was like that moment at the Forest Haven when he felt the urge to wait. He didn't know what it was, but he was determined to find out. As soon as he had moored the ship he ran for the house as fast as his legs would take him as his heart told him to go even faster. The moment he reached the door he went through it as though his life depended on it... to find himself looking at the face of someone he could only vaguely remember. After a moment his eyes widened in recognition, as he whispered.

"Dad..."

He watched as his father stood up. That morning Vallandra had made Eidan clean himself up and shave and had also trimmed his hair. As father and son looked at each other they could almost have been looking in a mirror, so much was the resemblance between them. Seeing her brother, Aryll got up as well.

"Big Brother, Dad got stranded in the Outer Islands and tried to get home, but nearly died, but those Salvage Corp guys found him and brought him home."

Link looked surprised and a little bemused at his sisters long statement.

"They did? Well then I'll have to thank them the next time I see them." He smirked. "I'm guessing they went out there because I cleared out all the treasure closer to home."

Eidan blinked.

"You're the one they talked about? The guy who's 'a genius at spotting treasure'?"

Link grinned.

"They mentioned me? Well I do have a reputation."

"Reputation?"

Vallandra looked over from her chair by the fire.

"For a couple of years now, Link has been acknowledged as the best sailor on the Great Sea. Sailing is in his blood and his wind sense really helps him as well."

Eidan looked confused.

"Wind sense?"

Link scratched the back of his head.

"I can tell which way the wind is blowing and exactly how fast, even if I'm indoors... I can also sense when the wind is about to shift."

"Why do I get the feeling I still have a lot to learn about you?" He looked at his son and his daughter. "While I know this is a little abrupt and we haven't had time to catch up with each other, I have to show you something very important. It's part of the reason I took such a risk trying to get home." Link and Aryll looked at him confused. "It's time you learned of the duty placed upon our family... and of our family legacy..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. Well 3 chapters in one day... lol. Free time well spent I'd say, better than being bored out of my mind. See ya, I'll update soon.**


	11. Legacy and Responsibility

**Alaia Skyhawk: Chapter 11. Now we're getting close to the good stuff. Get ready for the upcoming suspense and cryptic hints overload!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! ...Ok I'm done.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply:**

**Ri2:**

**Yep NEW SAIL, WOO HOO! I've had that idea for ages.**

**Yay, Eidan is home. I've been looking forward to that since chapter 1.**

**Aryll and Link's apparent lack of reaction is explained at the start of this chapter. The reason was hinted at for Link in the last chapter and implied for Aryll.**

**Why have they been separated? Personally I wouldn't expect them to hang out together all the time and for them 'many years' probably wouldn't seem like that much. As for why they're together now... I'm not gonna tell you, you'll just have to wait and find out.**

Chapter 11: Legacy and Responsibility.

Link stared at his father.

"Our family legacy?"

Eidan looked calmly at his son.

"I'll answer all your questions once I've shown you what our family has kept hidden. Now come and follow me." As he walked over to the door he stopped and looked back at Vallandra. "I'll tell you everything when we get back." As he went out the door, Link and Aryll followed. They were nearing the walkway between the two halves of the island when Eidan looked sidelong at his children. "I have a question. Neither of you seemed that surprised by my being alive, and I can't help but wonder why?"

Link regarded his father steadily.

"Did you pass the Forest Haven around nineteen days ago?"

His father blinked.

"Yes actually, I did."

Link smiled wryly.

"I stopped on that island for a few hours that day. Just before I left at noon I felt an urge to wait, but just shrugged it off. Then as I came back here today I felt it again, but this time it was an urge to hurry to Outset." Link smiled. "Even though I wasn't aware of it, I think I knew it was you."

Eidan looked thoughtful.

"Did you travel north from the Forest Haven?"

"I did... You sensed me as well?"

They began to make their way along the walkway.

"I felt like something was pulling at my heart, telling me to go north... but like you I just shrugged it off. We passed the island late in the afternoon, so that would have been after you headed in that direction." He looked over at Aryll. "What about you? Did you sense anything before I got home yesterday?"

Aryll shrugged.

"I had a weird dream the night before... I was standing on a beach looking at the waves when one of them washed a bottle up on the shore. It was full but I couldn't open it... Like it had to open for me on it's own if before I could see what the message was." She paused. "That's kinda like what's happening now... You've come home by sea and you have something to tell us, but only you can decide to tell us it." She looked up as a seagull flew overhead. "For all of yesterday, before you knocked on the door, I kept thinking someone was going to visit... That's why there was some soup left, I made extra... So I guess I'm like Link. Deep down I just knew you were coming."

Eidan smiled.

"Well I guess that answers that."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

They walked through the Fairy Forest as rays of sunlight poked through branches creating dappled shadows on the ground. In all the times he'd entered here before, Link had never gone beyond the first big clearing, the place where he met Tetra just over five years previously. Now he found himself being led _past_ that clearing and on into the deepest part of the forest. On and on they walked until Link was sure they must be nearing the western limit of the forest. Finally, his father stopped.

Eidan reached into his shirt and pulled out a pendant on a chain. As he lifted the chain over his head a symbol blazed into life on the ground in front of them. Aryll stepped back and Link gasped in surprise. There, plain as day on the ground was the Triforce symbol, set with its points touching the ring around it. Link looked at his father's pendant... it was the same symbol. He watched as his father knelt down and placed the pendant on the edge of the ring. The symbol flashed and suddenly before them was a set of stairs leading down.

Link and Aryll followed their father as he descended the stairway and as they neared the bottom it turned back on itself to face the east. There in front of them was a door bearing the same symbol and once again the pendant was used to open it. As they stepped though it, all they could see was darkness... until their father muttered.

"By the light of the Triforce may we see."

In response to this, crystals set into the ceiling began to glow and cast a soft light throughout a large chamber, filled from end to end with shelves of books. At the back was a large flat-topped chest with a blue and silver pattern on it. Aryll gazed around in wonder.

"...wow..."

His mind turning over what he had just seen when entering the hidden chamber, Link asked.

"What is this place? Where did all this come from?"

Eidan turned to look at them.

"Allow me to explain. Long ago, before the Great Sea existed, there was another land in its place... called Hyrule. But the land was attacked by a great evil and having no way to stop it the people turned to the gods for help. When that happened the gods decreed that Hyrule would be sealed away beneath the ocean we now call our home, but before they did they picked those who would build a new kingdom and commanded them to take refuge on the mountain tops. You see, the great evil, a man from the desert called Ganondorf, could only be defeated by the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword... but it couldn't be wielded by just anyone... only a hero can bear the sacred blade... However no hero came forth, forcing the kingdom to be sealed. The mountain tops became the islands we live on now and we the people of the Great Sea are the descendants of those sent to take refuge."

"The reason for there being no hero was this... Long ago the great evil was sealed away by the Hero of Time, the first and only hero to wield the Master Sword. Ganondorf had managed to get his hands on a part of a sacred power called the Triforce giving him terrible strength. The other two parts were entrusted to the Keepers, the princess of Hyrule and the Hero of Time. Eventually after many hardships they were able to defeat him, but because of the piece of the Triforce he held, they could only seal him away. When this happened, Ganondorf uttered these words. 'One day when this seal is broken, I will return and exterminate your descendants.' When he said this, it became fate that only the descendants off the Hero of Time and the Princess of Hyrule would be able defeat him."

"After Ganondorf was sealed away the Hero of Time left Hyrule, entrusted with the keeping of one of the keys to the Sacred Realm, the place where the Triforce had resided before it was stolen by Ganondorf. It was many years later that he returned... with a family. Fearing that they would be hunted by evil, he told only the princess of his return. They agreed that only the queens of Hyrule would know of the family's presence in Hyrule and that is how it remained."

"When Ganondorf escaped his prison nearly fifteen hundred years later, the land had been subject to a plague. The only surviving descendants of the hero's family were an elderly man and his five year old grandson, neither could fight Ganondorf. Realising this, the queen called on the gods and asked for their help and thus the sealing of Hyrule came about."

Aryll blinked, while Link took a step forward.

"Are you implying that _our_ family is the one descended from the Hero of Time?"

Eidan nodded.

"Yes, we _are_ his descendants. When the gods told our family and the queen's to head for the mountain tops she knew she would have to keep herself and her descendants hidden, meaning they would likely spend much of their time constantly on the move. Because of this she asked our family to be the guardians of what books and records could be saved from the Royal Library. This is the sole remaining store of our history and it is our family's duty to preserve the knowledge kept here... along with safe guarding the key that was entrusted to the hero all those years ago and passed down through the generations."

Eidan led them to the chest at the back of the room and opened it. The first items he took out were two pendants, identical to his own. As Link accepted one of them he asked.

"Are these keys to this place, like yours?"

"Yes they are. My having the only key is risky, if something were to happen to me it would take the magic of the key years to bring it back to our family, while in the meantime access to the library may be needed. This is the last thing I have to show you." He lifted a small box of highly polished wood out of the chest before closing it and placing the box on its lid. He opened the small box and unfolded the cloth wrapped around the object within. He then lifted out a pale blue and silver ocarina that seemed to shine with an inner light. "This is the Ocarina of Time. One of the five keys to the Sacred Realm. It was originally placed in the care of the Royal Family by the Ancient Sages who built the Temple of Time. Of course as I've said it was later entrusted to our family."

Link shook his head in bemusement.

"This is a heck of a lot to take in but it certainly explains a lot... It's ironic... The King of Red Lions told Lord Jabun I had no connection to the Hero of Time, when in fact I do... but since only the queens knew about our family being in Hyrule I guess that explains why he never knew."

Eidan grabbled Link's arm and looked him in the eye.

"You know the King of Red Lions? You know he was the King of Hyrule?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The air shimmered before them and the three sisters found themselves gazing upon their long completed work. Their eyes seeing depths to their creation that no mortal upon it could see. The second sister looked calmly at the image.

"The Legacy lives on and the Key to the Balance has been restored." The vision before them changed. "But while there may be a balance..." She looked at the image of the Old Watcher, standing between the Darkness and the Golden Light. "That balance has a flaw... for there was part of the wish he did not speak aloud... but it was there none the less... A part we have yet to attend to..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link registered the look in his father's eyes and began to talk.

"I met him just over five years ago. It all started when a giant monster bird dropped Tetra, the captain of the pirate ship, the Sea Spirit, in the Fairy Forest. It had kidnapped her and her crew managed to hit it with the ship's catapult. I went up to the forest to help her and as we were leaving Aryll started to come across the bridge to meet us. The bird swooped down and took her. Quill, our postman, was able to tell us that the bird had been seen nesting at the Forsaken Fortress so I asked Tetra to take me there. Once she got me into the fortress... using the catapult I might add... I got up to the room where Aryll was being kept, but the bird came in and caught me. It carried me up to the top of the fortress... and that's when I saw its master for the first time... It was Ganondorf..."

Eidan looked shocked as he whispered.

"... Ganondorf..."

Link continued.

"He commanded it to throw me out into the sea to drown. I passed out but when I woke up I was at Windfall... in the back of a talking boat." Link smiled wryly. "It was the King of Red Lions and it wasn't until much later that I found out who he really was. Anyway it was at that time that my journey to save Aryll turned into the journey that led to me saving the world."

Aryll walked over to her speechless father and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yup, he got me out of the fortress a few months later after he'd gotten the Master Sword, but when he did he found out it had lost the power to repel evil. We found out then, and Tetra as well, that she was actually the last remaining member of the royal family of Hyrule and because she had the Triforce of Wisdom she was hidden in the chamber where the Master Sword used to be."

Eidan looked at his daughter, disbelief written on his face. Link picked up the story from there.

"Well it seems that the kings of Hyrule had a secret of their own, the king told me that the power to repel evil was infused into the sword by the sages of two previously unknown temples. After Tetra was hidden he sent me to them to find out what happened and I discovered that the sages had been killed and from one of them I learned that the king of Hyrule was the one who would conduct for them using the Windwaker. We were lucky in that their descendants were alive and well and also had the sacred instruments. I used the Windwaker to conduct the songs to awaken them and then helped them to reclaim the temples from Ganondorf's minions, after which they restored the Master Sword's power. I then had to scour the Great Sea for the charts that gave the locations of the shards of the Triforce of Courage, since it was the only way to get back down to Hyrule and Tetra."

Eidan now looked somewhat bemused.

"You have the Windwaker?"

Link nodded and retrieved it from inside his tunic, showing it to his father.

"When I got back down I learned that Ganondorf had found and taken Tetra. After that I made my way to his tower, which is where the final fight between us took place. When I arrived at the top he caught me off guard and pretty much knocked me out. He reassembled the Triforce but before he could make his wish... the king beat him to it." Link hesitated. "The king wished for Hyrule to be washed away, with it gone there would be nothing to keep Ganondorf going, after all his desire to rule Hyrule was why he sought out the Triforce. After that the Triforce disappeared leaving him without its power anymore. Tetra and I fought him and eventually defeated him. By then the only clear space without water filling it was the part above his tower. The king appeared and told us why he had made the wish he did, and that he wanted us to live for the future, not cling to the past like both he and Ganondorf had... In the end he chose to stay with Hyrule... The last time I saw him was when the water came flooding down on top of the tower and Tetra and I were lifted to the surface in bubbles of air... Ganondorf is gone, he'll never trouble the world again... But the King of Red Lions is also gone... forever..."

Eidan sank to his knees.

"Then fate has fulfilled itself and it was the descendants of the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda the Sage of Wisdom that brought about his end... But Hyrule..."

Aryll knelt by her father and hugged him.

"Don't be sad, it's not all gone. It lives on now in the people of the Great Sea. Three years ago Tetra took up her place as queen and united all the islands. We still call the sea the Great Sea, but the islands together are now called Hyrule again... Now when we're being formal with her we have to call her Queen Zyara. Turns out the royal family ditched the tradition of calling all the princesses Zelda and started giving them middle names beginning with Z instead."

He gave her a small smile.

"That was our family's idea. We thought that it was a good way of honouring the memory of the Sage of Wisdom and yet be discrete enough to throw off Ganondorf should he come back and try to find them."

Link chuckled.

"It worked. He only realised who she was when she got close to him and the Triforce of Power resonated."

Link watched as his father got back to his feet and put the ocarina away. He looked over at his son.

"So all this means you're a hero."

Link scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, they call me the Hero of Winds, because I used the Windwaker to control the wind to aid my journey and awaken the Sages of Earth and Wind."

His father came over.

"So who are the sages?"

Link smiled.

"Makar of the Koroks, the children of the forest, is the Sage of Wind. Medli of the Rito Tribe, and attendant to the Sky Spirit Lord Valoo, is the Sage of Earth. They both left the temples again and returned home once Ganondorf was defeated. Makar makes regular trips to check on his temple, while Medli has been given the right to live out a single lifetime with her tribe before she takes up permanent residence in the Earth Temple. Something about ensuring her line continues just in case something happens to her in the future. Makar doesn't have that problem."

Eidan nodded in understanding.

"That's right. The children of the forest never truly die. When they pass on, part of their spirit is born into a new child of the forest so Makar would be the reincarnation of the last sage."

Link sighed.

"Yep, at least that's what he and the Great Deku Tree told me when I asked." Link looked over at the exit and then slipped the pendant he'd been given around his neck. "Well I think we'd better get back to the house... I think we all need some time to get our heads round all this."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, first major plot point!! Hee hee, did you see that coming? Poor Eidan, he's really gotten the short end of the stick here. Thought he was explaining something completely unknown to them when in fact they knew most of it already... lol. Anyway I'll update soon.**


	12. Travelling Together

**Alaia Skyhawk: I've gotten over 500 hits on this story already, woo hoo! And 6 people have it on alerts and 5 in their favs, yay! I'm in a good mood right now... (Grins)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 12: Travelling Together.

Vallandra nodded in understanding.

"Well, then, that explains why you used to go up into forest so often. You were going up there to read the books in the hidden library... Did you ever tell my daughter?"

Eidan paused for a moment as sorrow shadowed his eyes.

"Yes I told her. Before I married her I told her my family had a secret that might put her in danger. She accepted that and so after we married I explained everything to her. I told her to tell you everything as well, as soon as she felt it was the right time... but I guess she never got the chance to."

Aryll looked around at the father and grandmother.

"I have to say our family is really strange."

Her father hugged her with a smile.

"Yes, but you get used to it."

Link looked out of the window and saw that the sun had set. He frowned.

"I've missed the evening tide. Looks like I'm setting off tomorrow morning."

Aryll gave him a disappointed look.

"Do you have to, Big Brother? Can't you stay another day?"

Link came over and ruffled her hair.

"Sorry, Aryll. My wind sense is telling me that in a few days the wind will shift and blow to the North-west. I want to get as close to the Forest Haven as I can before it does and slows me down. Part of my job is to get the run done in as little time as I can."

She sighed.

"Ok, ok... I understand."

His father looked over.

"Your postal job?" Link nodded. Eidan looked thoughtful. "You headed north from the Forest Haven... does your route include Saiweve?"

Link looked surprised.

"Yeah, it does."

"Then I would like to come with you." Before Aryll and Vallandra could interrupt, he explained. "Lyle, my partner on the Time's Gale, was picked up after the storm and is now living in Saiweve... I'd like to go see him. From what Krio told me, the storm hit him hard and he hasn't sailed, and has barely spoken since."

Vallandra sighed in resignation.

"Alright, I'll get some extra supplies taken out of the cellar in the morning." She glanced at Eidan. "Along with your spare sailing trunk. I kept the contents in good condition though they may be a little musty. The sea air will clear that out though."

Link stretched his arms above his head.

"In that case I'm off to sort out the spare cabin on the Red Lion. Dad can have my bunk, I'll sleep on the ship and come up for breakfast in the morning."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The second sister spoke.

"What do you suggest? We cannot simply interfere on such a large scale. It would be breaking our own laws."

The third sister called forth a golden triangle and held it in her hand.

"When we departed from the world after we created it we left these behind as the balance required it, even though we knew that they could be used for evil. The world as it is now is the result of that and we must take responsibility for it."

The second sister looked at her siblings.

"But how can we do it? It is as Din said, we'd be breaking our own laws."

A voice echoed around them, filled with the gentle promise of new life.

"Do not despair my daughters... Din'ira, Nayru'ine, Farore'na... there _is_ a way..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The Red Lion was making its way across the sea towards the Forest Haven. Link and his father had spent the last six days of sailing talking about what had happened on Outset over the twelve years that Eidan had been stranded. Now on the seventh day with the wind haven't having changed yet they were making good time. It was now that Link decided he had to get his foot out and practice his flying for the first time in nearly ten days. He glanced at his father.

"Would you mind the tiller for a bit, I have to practice."

His father took hold of the tiller and gave him a confused look?

"Practice?"

Link opened his wings.

"My flying..." Eidan nearly let go of the tiller out of sheer surprise. Link chuckled. "You didn't notice I have wings like the Rito?" His father shook his head. "Lord Valoo gave me one of his scales as a birthday present and as a thank you for getting rid of the monster that was attacking his tail five years ago. He's offered to give one to Aryll as well when she reaches sixteen. The thing is I have to keep practicing to build up my stamina for long distance flying, and it's been nearly ten days since I last flew." He smiled. "I guess I've been a little distracted."

"...I guess you have."

Eidan watched as his son launched himself off the deck and took the air, gliding on the wind.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The Red Lion pulled up at one of the many mooring points around the edge of Saiweve. It had been a challenge to manoeuvre around the large cluster of sea farming frames that trailed behind the slowly moving village. Saiweve was a large collection of barge-like hulls linked together with numerous tethers and rope bridges. Each 'barge' had a different purpose. There was one for the local market and workshops, one for storage, one for all the farming frames, which also had storage, and several where all the inhabitants had their homes.

As Link tied the mooring lines and set the buffers on the side of the ship's hull, Eidan stepped onto to dock and approached the nearest villager.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for an ex-sailor called Lyle. He was found about twelve years ago clinging to some wreckage after a storm. I heard he doesn't talk much anymore."

The villager's face took on a look of recognition.

"I know who you mean, he lives on the third barge." The villager pointed to Eidan's left. "The house is called Willow Crest. His family are basket makers, you can't miss it."

Eidan nodded his thanks and turned to look at his son who was now walking over. He inclined his head to indicate that Link should follow him. Link shook his head.

"You go, Dad. I have some parcels to deliver. If past circumstances are any indication, I'll have no trouble finding you."

Eidan watched as his son loaded parcels onto a low wooden trolley and pushed them along the dock towards the village market, he then turned in the opposite direction and headed for the residential barges. He had visited Saiweve a number of times during his years on the sea but this was his first his first time in the residential area. The houses were snugged tightly against each other with a narrow street between them and everything was made of wood except for the single narrow stone built chimney that poked out of the roof of each house. He made his way to the third barge and looked down its single street. There on the right hand side was a house with a number of wicker baskets hanging from the eves. Next to its door the name Willow Crest had been painted in blue like the summer sky. He went up to the door and knocked. A moment later it was opened by a young woman.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Lyle Oarcrafter, I was told he was living here."

She frowned.

"He lives here. Sailors are always bothering him trying to get him to speak. Why should I believe you are any different?"

Eidan gave her a steady look as he explained.

"He was my partner on my ship, the Time's Gale, when we were hit by the storm. I got carried out into the Outer Islands and was only found recently, but my rescuers told me that Lyle was picked up right after the storm and has been living here in Saiweve since... They also told me that that he's never sailed since and that he rarely talks." He looked at her beseechingly. "I just want to see that he's alright for myself. I have no intention of harassing him. I'm only here for a few hours, my son is delivering parcels and he brought me here so I would have a chance to check on Lyle. We leave as soon as he's done."

Her hostile expression began to fade.

"You're the father of the Hero of Winds?"

Eidan looked bemused.

"So my family tells me..."

The woman smiled at his expression.

"Alright, you can come in. Maybe seeing you will finally snap him out of his depression." She let him in. "My name's Mara."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mara."

He looked round at the simple rectangular room. Two sections at the back were separated off with cloth screens. On his right, next to the fire, he could see his old friend sat slumped in a chair staring off into nothing."

Mara put a hand on Eidan's arm, a sad look in her eyes. Nodding in understanding, he slowly approached Lyle and knelt on the floor in front of him and just sat there without saying a word. He had been sat there for several minutes when Lyle's eyes finally moved and settled on his face. They stayed there for a moment before a look of disbelief slowly came over him.

"Eidan?"

He smiled.

"Yes old friend it's me."

Lyle shook his head slowly.

"It can't be... Eidan's been dead for twelve years." He lurched to his feet. "Get away from me you impostor! How dare you impersonate my friend."

Eidan stood up.

"Lyle, calm down." Seeing it was going to have no effect he blurted one of his old admonitions. "Lyle Oarcrafter if you don't calm down right now I'll hang you over the ship's rail by your ankles!"

Lyle froze and once again looked at Eidan, but this time a look of hope came to his face.

"... It _is_ you, isn't it?" Eidan smiled but said nothing. "Where have you been all these years?"

Lyle sat down and brushed his unkempt auburn hair out of his blue eyes while Eidan set himself back on the floor. Off on the other side of the hearth, Mara was making some soup with a happy smile on her face.

"I grabbed onto some of the wreckage just like you did but got carried out into the Outer Islands by the storm. Nearly two months ago I decided that enough was enough and I built a makeshift raft and just set off in what I hoped was the right direction. I got lucky and was picked up by those Salvage Corp fellows and they took me to Outset. When my son arrived back on the island the next day I found out that in the twelve years I'd been out there he'd ended up becoming a hero and saved the world... He was coming this way on his postal run so I asked him to bring me along so I could visit you."

Lyle closed his eyes and chuckled.

"I bet that was a surprise for you, so you're the Hero of Wind's father. You must be very proud of him."

"I'm proud of him anyway, he's my son after all and he's done a great deal to keep the family together. He was only four years old when I got shipwrecked. I got home to find my son was sixteen, my wife dead, and that I had a twelve year old daughter I never knew I had. Her name's Aryll."

"It has been quite a time for you, hasn't it?"

Just then Eidan looked towards the door.

"My son's just about to reach the door if you would let him in."

Mara looked a little sceptical but went over to the door anyway. She opened it to reveal Link with his hand just raised to knock. Link laughed.

"Looks like you _knew_ I was coming."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: There you go, 2 chapters in one day lol... I'll update soon.**


	13. Introducing a Queen

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's chapter 13, not much else to say.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply:**

**Ri2:**

**Glad that cleared things up for you.**

**Yep, I'm cruel for doing that to him but what can I say, it was necessary.**

**Saiweve... I just thought about how you could have a floating village and that came to mind (shrugs) it just made sense.**

**Yep, MORE MYSTERIES! MUAHAHAHAHA! #cough# ...ahem... Well, expect more because I'm gonna keep you all guessing for quite a while yet (Grins).**

Chapter 13: Introducing a Queen.

The sun shone between the patchy clouds that inched their way across the sky, casting a pattern of shadows on the side of the island's tall peak. Eidan looked up as a young Rito man, wearing a golden torc that marked him as the tribe's prince, swooped past the Red Lion while Link tied the mooring lines. The young man grinned as he flew past.

"Hoy, there Link. Who's your passenger?"

Link looked up and waved.

"This is my dad. He was stranded in the Outer Islands and he only made it home a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to visit an old friend in Saiweve so he came with me for this run."

The prince turned and came back to land on the ship's deck. He inclined his head politely at Link's father.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and I welcome you to Dragon Roost, I'm Prince Komali." He shook Eidan's hand. "I've know your son for nearly five years now. We met when I was still a fledgling."

Eidan inclined his head in return.

"I'm honoured to meet you. My name is Eidan."

Komali grinned.

"Would the two of you like to come up to the aerie? Link has his first pay to pick up anyway and I'm sure the rest of the tribe would like to meet you, especially since your family has been adopted into the tribe." Eidan looked surprised. Komali explained. "When Lord Valoo gave Link one of his scales it basically meant that he was adopted into the tribe, which of course means his family is as well. That's why Aryll can get a scale too when she turns sixteen. You would probably have been offered one as well, but since you're older than twenty the scale wouldn't work. Once fully mature a person's body just can't adapt to it."

Link chuckled.

"From the way Dad kept gasping every time I pulled a dive I doubt he has the stomach for flying anyway." Link's father glared at him, he shrugged. "Come on, admit it. Your face almost went green after some of them."

Eidan looked at his son for a moment and sighed in resignation, Komali and Link grinning in amusement. Link looked over at his friend.

"So what are the new stops on my next postal run going to be?"

Komali smiled wryly.

"There aren't any. When we worked out how long the run would take with the extra stops we realised it was too much. So we sent messengers to each of your current stops and enlisted the help of the local merchants. Now those merchants will collect parcels from you to deliver to the towns they travel to while you continue along the same route. They'll get paid commission for each parcel they deliver and won't be receiving receive a regular wage like you do. They're all happy with the idea, what do _you_ think of it?"

Link shrugged.

"It's fine with me. It means I'll get to see my family around once a month on a regular basis. A longer route would have meant I wouldn't get home as often."

Komali smiled.

"That works out fine then." He jumped over onto the dock and looked back at them. "Come on then, let's get up to the aerie. Salma has written some new music and I think she's going to play some of it tonight."

Link looked surprised.

"Really?" He glanced at his father. "Let's go, Dad. Salma is the tribe's best composer and musician. Some of her music is incredible, you just have to hear it."

Link grabbed his father's arm and pulled him onto the dock, before towing him to round to the aerie's entrance as Komali flew above them.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli looked down from her perch on the upper part of the spiral walkway within the aerie's main chamber. She along with a number of the tribe's other musicians had helped Salma show of her new music and it had gone really well, with several encores being requested. Now she watched as Link's father, Eidan, got to know the rest of the tribe and took part in a number of the humorous games that were often played on evenings like this, when the entire aerie came together to simply socialise and have fun. She glanced at Link as he and Komali had a friendly tussle over a comment made in jest. She wanted to go down but something kept her up here, made her distance herself from them all.

_Why do I feel so uneasy? The sense of tension hasn't gotten better or worse and yet I can't help that feel that we're all standing on the brink of something big... Something that will change all our lives forever._ She looked up at the stars through one of the cavern's huge skylights. _But what could it be...?_

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Nayru looked around in surprise, her blue and gold hair swinging behind her with the sudden movement.

"There's a way?"

"Yes, there is." A figure appeared. A figure with amber eyes and silver hair. She was wearing a golden dress highlighted with red and green, along with a pair of white sashes, with a blue trim, that crossed over her torso from her shoulders. "You simply need to use a focus."

Din frowned.

"A focus? That wouldn't change anything, Mother, we would still be breaking our laws. Laws that you founded when we were born and began creating Hyrule and the world it stands on."

The silver haired goddess smiled kindly at her daughter.

"You forget, I am Kyayna, the Goddess of Creation, and I have existed since time began its march through eternity. Long ago, shortly after the three of you created Hyrule and the world upon which it stands, your brother asked me the same thing. He saw the possibility that evil would seek to use that which you left behind and wanted to give the world the means to protect itself. The solution was the Master Sword and various other items he created... However he paid a price for giving that protection as you should remember."

Farore looked forlorn.

"He gave up his divinity and became the first Sage, his power cast away into the land to build all of the temples that guard it."

Kyayna tilted her head.

"Do you remember what happened a few years later?"

Nayru walked over to Farore to comfort her, glancing over at her mother as she did so.

"The Cataclysm came and he sacrificed his life to prevent the backlash of his own power from destroying the temples and the items he had created, shielding them with his very life force."

Kyayna nodded.

"He was Kaiayn'no, the God of Protection, and he gave his life to do just that... to protect. The Cataclysm was the work of the balance righting itself after his interference and the Balance's self righting of itself is the reason for my creating our laws. In this instance right now it depends on what you use as the focus. If you use the Master Sword its very nature as a force of protection will limit the effect of your power and allow you to do what needs to be done without creating another cataclysm. The Balance will be undisturbed by your interference which in turn means the laws will not be broken."

Din's eyes widened.

"But that would make what we do unstable, by doing it that way it would undo itself. After a while it would simply collapse."

Kyayna looked at her daughter gravely.

"And that is why the Legacy is so important. In its continued existence it will be possible to stabilise what you are to do... Though it will be up them to achieve it..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Eidan gaped as Link pointed out Candy, the Portmaster.

"That's Candy? The last time I saw him he was he was eight years old and only this tall." Eidan held his hand at a level well below his shoulder. "He's taller than I am now."

Link chuckled.

"Let's get the parcels collected and I'll take you around town. We'll head over to see Tetra after that, she'll insist we stay the night so there's no hurry. We can leave on the morning tide."

After greeting the Portmaster and paying for two days mooring they headed straight to the post box. Later once they were done and the parcels loaded into the Red Lion the two of them began to head up to the cafe. It took them quite some time as various people recognised Eidan and came over to find out where he had been all this time. When they finally reached the cafe they found Zunari closing his shop up for the night. When he saw Link, he smiled.

"Hello there, Link. Who's that you have with you?"

"This is my dad. He was stranded out in the Outer Islands and he managed to get home a few weeks ago." Link turned to his father. "This is Zunari, he and I are business partners. I transport cargoes for him for free as well as negotiate trading agreements with other merchants, while he runs the shop. In return I get a percentage of the yearly profit. I would have gotten fourteen thousand six hundred rupees this year but I gave six thousand of them to Mila to help her buy the house she's saving up for, for her and her father."

Link pointed out Mila who was just packing away the last of shops products for the night. When she was done she came over, smiling shyly.

"Hi, Link. Who's this?"

Link smiled in return.

"This is my dad. He's been shipwrecked for twelve years and only made it home a few weeks ago."

Mila looked even more shy.

"...Hi."

As Link when over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, Eidan looked from Mila to his son with a knowing expression. He gave her a reassuring look.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mila. My name is Eidan." He gestured to the nearby cafe steps. "Would you like to come into the cafe with us?"

Mila nodded and smiled as Link put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the cafe, as Eidan followed behind them with a contented look on his face at seeing his son so happy.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

After seeing Mila to the door of the house where she was renting rooms for herself and her father, Link and Eidan headed for the compound on the south-western shore of the island. When they had arrived they had seen the Sea Spirit moored at the private dock and so Link was going to introduce his father to Tetra, who was now formally known as Queen Zyara. When they got there, Link burst out laughing at seeing who had been put on Gate Guard duty.

Niko glared at him.

"That's right, laugh at the short guy."

Niko was stood there with a spear that towered over him. The sight of this was what had set Link off. Link introduced him to his father and after a few muttered words about 'why am I always stuck as being the swabbie even when we have some new crew?' Niko let them into the courtyard where the flagpole stood. Link then led his father to Tetra's private apartments after asking one of footmen to let her know of their arrival. When they entered though the double doors of the main entrance they turned left down a rather plain corridor to the doors at the end which were carved with the crest of the Royal Family of Hyrule.

The footman who they had sent ahead opened one of the doors and let them into the apartments. When they entered the reception room, Tetra got up from one of the chairs set near the fireplace. Her hair was now tied back in a high ponytail and she was wearing a long skirt along with the traditional drape of cloth at the front bearing the royal crest. The upper part of her outfit however, was a version of her old waistcoat though it was made of better material. Finally, on her head was her crown, based off the one that had been placed on her when she had found out she was a princess. She walked over to them.

"It's good to see you Link. It's been over a year and I was beginning to wonder if you were going to stay in that boatshed of yours for good. I heard you've finished your first postal run and I'm guessing you've started your second." She looked at Eidan. "I also received word from the Rito about you, Eidan. It must have been very hard on you to have been stranded for so long. In which case I would like to personally welcome you back to the Great Sea and to the re-founded Kingdom of Hyrule."

She shook Eidan's hand and he nodded respectfully. After a moment he spoke.

"Link has explained how you lost the knowledge of your heritage when your mother died and have since then been doing all you can to relearn it. There is a secret that was known to your mother. A secret about my family... And now it's time for you to know about it...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: There you go, I'll update soon.**


	14. New Role

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hi all, here's chapter 14.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 14: New Role.

Tetra frowned in confusion.

"A secret?"

Eidan nodded.

"Yes, now if you would allow me to explain. Long ago after leaving Hyrule, the Hero of Time returned with a family. Knowing that evil may seek them out he told only the queen of his return and where his family could be found. That knowledge was then passed down through the generations to the present day. My family are the hero, Link's, descendants. Just as your family had the tradition of naming all the princesses Zelda, though that has been changed, My family has the tradition of naming the first born boy every two generations Link, as a way to honour and remember our ancestor."

As Tetra stood there with a stunned look on her face, Link looked at his father.

"You never told me that before when you explained our family heritage to me and Aryll."

Tetra finally regained her voice.

"Well that's certainly a surprise, but it's also rather fitting, that Link should finish what our ancestors started." She walked over to her seat and sat back down as Link and Eidan settled themselves in two of the other chairs. "I still wish we had more records of our history than those we've managed to dredge from the forgotten corners of our home."

Eidan smiled.

"Now _that_ is something we can help with." Tetra looked up in surprise. "My family were entrusted with what books and records could be saved from the Royal Library when the kingdom was sealed away. Those records are now in a hidden library, deep in the Fairy Forest on Outset Island, where my family has guarded it." Seeing the look on her face, he added. "But I'm afraid the books will have to stay there, once copies can be made those can be assembled into a library here on Windfall. But it's best that the originals are kept where they are as they are delicate with age and would be irreparably damaged if they were moved here."

Tetra sighed.

"You're right. I'll arrange for a pair of scribes to go to Outset as soon as possible to begin making copies."

Link watched as a thoughtful look came to his father's face at seeing her disappointment.

"What are you thinking of, Dad?"

Eidan glanced at his son before turning to the young queen.

"I'm well versed in the knowledge contained in the library, If you like I could remain here and tutor you. I knew your mother well, we met often while out sailing the seas. It's the least I can do to make sure you get to learn what she never had the chance to tell you herself."

Tetra looked tearful for a moment as she remembered her mother. She then gave Eidan a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I'd be honoured to accept your offer."

Link smiled wryly.

"I know Grandma and Aryll aren't gonna be too happy about this, what with you only just being reunited with us, but I agree with you. I'll let them know when I get back to Outset in a couple of weeks."

Tetra got up out of her chair.

"Let them know that I'll make sure he visits home every couple of months. I can take him on the Sea Spirit so I won't be missing out on any lessons. Plus I can go to the library at the same time." Seeing the look of agreement on their faces she asked. "Would either of you like to join me for supper while rooms are prepared for you?" She smiled as both of them nodded. "Follow me."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Several days later found Link at Eyestone. The village was on the northern side of Stone Watcher Island, hence the name Eyestone. It was a small village built in a cluster on the ridge below the remains of the ruined tower where the strange head-shaped rock had once been. The rock was now part way down the island's eastern side having been thrown there by Link during his journey to defeat Ganondorf.

Link had collected the new parcels and handed out his first load, for the floating villages of Sea Crest and Sea Spire, to the merchants who travelled to those settlements. As he looked around he decided to go sit on the beach for a while. He had been sailing hard for several weeks and he just wanted to spend some time to himself, looking out at the sea from the shore. He found himself a rock and sat on the sunward side, leaning back against it. Eventually the warmth of the sun and the sound of the waves gently washing against the shore sent him into a peaceful slumber as gulls flew overhead.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three Golden Goddesses turned to one another. Din looked at her sisters with determination.

"We have an obligation to fulfil the wish and this is a way for us to do so. Let us begin now, lest second thoughts cause us to falter."

Kyayna looked on as her daughters linked hands and began to glow as the power gathered between them.

_And so it begins..._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

In the dark depths, somewhere between the ocean floor and the surface, something shifted. Moments later something began floating towards the surface. Once there it broke the surface and two gasps echoed though the air. The two figures moved their webbed hands through the water holding themselves in place as they looked around in confusion. Bewildered, one of them spoke.

"What in the name of Lord Jabun is going on?"

But no answer came as the ocean rippled around them...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heh heh, here comes some mystery. So who are the two figures? Why are they there? Only I know... (Evil Grin) Yes I know this is a bit short, but the next one is going to be LOOONG! I'll update soon.**


	15. And so it Begins,,,

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heh heh, for those of you who thought you would be getting some answers this chapter... sorry, but I'm just gonna give you more questions. It'll be a while yet before you find out what's going on.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 15: And so it Begins...

The two figures continued to look around in confusion. All they could see from their perspective was the open ocean, from horizon to horizon. One looked at the other.

"Marren, I'm going to dive down and see what's going on down in Hyrule. Something must have gone wrong with the sealing, otherwise why would we be up here?"

Marren nodded.

"Ok, be careful Irreilla. I'll stay here and keep watch for signs of anybody passing nearby."

Irreilla dived beneath the surface and headed for the ocean floor, Marren watching as she disappeared into the depths.

Irreila descended to the sea floor and looked around in horror. All she could see was undulating sea bed covered with a layer of silt and sand, for as far as she could see. Gone were the trees and the nearby vilage. Gone was the lake where she and Marren had chosen to wait out the time of Hyrule's slumber. She brought her hands to her mouth in the age old gesture of shock as her eyes filled with despair. She quickly headed back to the surface to tell Marren what she had seen.

Marren had been waiting for nearly an hour by the time she returned, and was taken aback when she surfaced and began crying hysterically. His eyes widened in horror as he took in what she was saying.

"It's all gone! Everything! ...Hyrule isn't there, it's all barren seafloor. There aren't even signs of roads or of the abandoned village we were near when the kingdom was sealed. It looks like everything has just been washed away by the water!"

Marren put his arm around her to try and calm her down, even though deep inside he wanted to scream and curse at whatever had done this to their home.

"Don't worry, Irreilla. We'll find out who did this... I swear..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"I hear little Jahto got his wings today."

Komali sat down next to Medli, who was plucking out a simple tune on her harp. She smiled.

"He was shaking like a leaf when I took him up to see Lord Valoo... but then most of the fledglings do."

The two of them laughed, though in Medli's case it was somewhat half hearted. Komali frowned in concern.

"Something's been bothering you Medli, and Valoo hasn't been quite his usual self either. What's got both of you so tense?"

Medli hesitated for a moment before sighing in resignation.

"We've been sensing some kind of tension in the world, like it's waiting for something to happen. It's been going on for a few weeks now and it has all of us on edge, me, Makar, Lord Valoo, Lord Jabun and the Great Deku Tree. We all feel it, but we don't know what it is."

"Have you told Link?"

She shook her head.

"No, we haven't. After all he's been through we didn't want to make him worry when we don't even know if what we're sensing is a threat."

Komali sighed.

"I guess you're right... He's been so happy lately and I wouldn't want to take that from him if it weren't necessary. I'll keep quiet about this."

She looked at his gratefully.

"Thank you, Komali. I'm glad I have a friend like y..." Her eyes suddenly went wide as she stared through him into the distance. "The spirits... they're calling... I..."

Medli thrust her harp into the strap on her back and in a flash of light she vanished. The last Komali saw of her was a ball of golden brown light racing away to the south-west...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Alan hauled up the ship's grappling hook from the depths using the crane, only to find they'd snagged yet another battered ceramic storage urn.

"Dammit, why are we always pulling these things up?!"

Jason glanced at his friend as he wound a length of rope into a neat coil.

"Take it easy, Alan. We all have our bad days."

Alan continued to mutter under his breath, but he made no further comments about the number of urns they're pulled up in the last few days. He was just about to toss the hook over the side at a likely looking shadow when light glinted off something below the ship. He stared into the water as more and more glints of light became visible. He let out a cry of elation.

"Get the dredging net there's something underneath us!"

Krio charged over and looked into the water, his eyes widening.

"By the Goddesses there must be a whole trove of treasure there." He looked across the deck. "Thom, Jason! Hurry up with that net!"

The two men came over with the heavy net and they all set about attaching it to the rope from crane. With great enthusiasm they threw it over the side and watched it sink. When the weighted edges hit the bottom they pulled the line that would make the net close around what it had landed over like a bag. They began to winch the net up using the crane which quickly began to groan under the strain.

Thom crowed.

"Feel the weight, there must be a fortune in it!"

They began to pull it up even faster and when it finally broke the surface they leapt to see what was in it... and stopped in confusion. The net was full, but not with treasure. Alan stared at the net, baffled.

"What are all those squirming things? They look a bit like Merman except they're smaller and don't have that stupid grin."

Jason scratched his head.

"The Merman are said to look a bit like fish, does that mean _these_ are fish?"

Krio and Thom looked at each other.

"But there _are_ no fish in the Great Sea."

Alan chuckled wryly.

"There are now..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The Koroks chased each other through the grotto. They had gathered for their annual ceremony which was to be in three days and for now they were simply having fun playing with each other and their guardian fairies. The Deku Tree looked on with a smile at their antics, seeing his little children happy always filled him with contentment. The peace was shattered however by a series of resounding cracks. The Koroks shrieked in fear as the noise continued and then finally stopped. They looked around in shock as they saw the several huge splits in the walls of the grotto, that ran from the very top right down to the ground. Each of the Koroks ran to their bonded tree within the grotto and clung to it for reassurance. All except Makar.

"Great Deku Tree, do you sense it?!"

The Deku Tree looked at the sage gravely.

"Yes, Makar, I sense it, a great power is rising..."

A look of confusion came upon the guardian's face. He looked up as Makar pointed to something above.

"Great Deku Tree, you're blooming. There are flowers growing up in your crown."

Sure enough far above them in the Deku Tree's uppermost branches, five large flowers were forming, creamy white edged in pale green. There was another resounding crack as one of the now loose sections of the grotto wall crumbled letting in a stream of light that shone across where Makar stood. Suddenly all the Koroks gasped as one, as the leaves of their bonded trees began to shimmer...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli stood in the sacred chamber of the Earth Temple. The voices of the Earth Spirits echoing in her mind. She held her harp in her arms.

"I'm here..."

The walls seemed to glow with an inner light as the whispers of the spirits faded and were replaced by voices that rang through the air like bells.

"Sage of the Earth Temple, we require that you call out to the Master Sword, we ask that you help us in this task. Through the Master Sword, guide our power into the land so that we may fulfil our duty."

In a trance Medli stepped onto the Triforce symbol on the floor where she closed her eyes and began to play. The Earth God's Lyric echoing though the chamber as the symbol began to glow.

Deep in the darkness, the echo of a harp drifted through the water. Light shimmered along the edges of the sacred blade... then suddenly it blazed. The water shuddered as tremendous power swept out in a great wave...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren and Irreilla reeled in the water as they were hit by a sudden shockwave. They could only cling to each other as a mass of white surrounded them and tossed them around in its embrace.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link was woken by the sound of screams. He leapt to his feet and gasped. A huge band of water had been stirred up into a white froth and it was racing towards the island. He flew up into the air as the villagers of Eyestone scrambled to close all the doors and windows before the apparent tidal wave struck. As he ascended higher he could see that the band had _curved_ from horizon to horizon in what looked like the arc of a ring, radiating outwards from a central point somewhere near the Tower of the Gods.

Link landed and raced to check on the Red Lion, thanking whatever powers there were out there that the village's dock was on the leeward side of the island and would be sheltered from the wave. When it struck the entire island shook violently, throwing people to the ground. After a few terrifying moments the tremors stopped as the wave moved off into the distance. Link regarded it with confusion.

"What the heck just happened?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Evil Grin) Need I say any more? This wasn't as long as I expected it would be… Oh well maybe the next chapter will be longer. I'll update soon.**


	16. Aftermath

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well the last chapter raised a lot of questions and some of them will be answered sooner than others. Anyway, for now here's chapter 16. **

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**(A.N: I re-read this and it didn't quite scan right in some places, so I added a couple of bits)**

Chapter 16: Aftermath

Komali watched the wave recede into the distance, as the people of the aerie clambered to their feet and looked around in confusion, and remembered what he had witnessed only a few hours before.

"This has something to do with why Medli left so suddenly." He frowned with determination. "I have to tell Link." He began to look around for a particular person and soon he spotted him. "Quill!"

Hearing the summons in his prince's voice, Quill promptly came over.

"What is it Prince Komali?"

"I need you to let my father know that I've gone to find Link. Medli took off this morning, something about the spirits calling her, and now this has happened. Link needs to know about Medli's return to the Earth Temple."

Quill nodded gravely.

"I will tell him. May the winds speed you to your destination my prince."

Komali launched himself into the air as he thought about where he could expect Link to be by now.

_He left Windfall days ago... That means I need to head to Eyestone..._

The young prince turned to fly south-west, as the seething waters of the ocean began to settle beneath him...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra and Eidan ran into the town to check on the inhabitants. All around there was chaos as people cried while others sat in shock amongst the mess of objects strewn across the streets by the tremors. Tetra stepped into the middle of the market place and raised her voice to get everyone's attention.

"Gather all the injured and take them into the schoolhouse, anyone with medical skills is to go there as well. The rest of you, clear what you can from the middle of the streets so no one trips on anything. Any masons are to inspect the buildings for signs of instability. If a wall is badly damaged make sure that people keep clear of it."

The people of Windfall ceased their aimless, panicked wanderings and set to work carrying out their queen's instructions. Eidan came up alongside her.

"Is there anything I can do?"

She looked at him with worry in her eyes.

"I need you to write several copies of a general letter to tell the people of the kingdom not to panic. When they're done bring them to me to sign. I'd write them myself, but for now I'm needed out here."

He nodded.

"I get started right away... Shall I have your crew prepare the Sea Spirit for departure?"

She gave him a slight smile.

"You only met me a few days ago and yet you know me so well already. Yes, have my ship prepared. We'll be leaving for Outset as soon as things are sorted here. That wave was far from natural and maybe, just maybe, there might be something in the library that will give us an idea of what just happened..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll got up with a groan. She had been asleep in her bed only to fall out when the wave shook the island. She shook her head, confused as hazy images from her dream danced through her mind. She looked around at the fallen pots and pans that littered the floor of the house. There still sat in her chair, with concerned look on her face, was Vallandra.

"Grandma? Are you ok?"

Vallandra eased herself out of the chair and began to pick up the mess as Aryll got to her feet.

"I'm fine dear." She looked up at her granddaughter. "Are _you_ alright? You look a little dazed."

Aryll brought a hand up to her head. She had a worried expression on her face.

"I had another strange dream, like the one I had the night before Dad got home... but I can't remember what I saw. All I can remember is feeling like something good is going to happen, but that we have to do something to stop it turning into something bad." She shook her head in frustration. "Why? Why can I remember the little one about Dad so clearly, and yet not be able to remember anything of this one, except that we have to do something?"

Vallandra put a hand on Aryll's.

"Don't get yourself worked up about it. Just think about what can be done now. I'll tidy up in here, while you go and check on the village."

Aryll took a deep breath and let it out.

"You're right, Grandma. I'll do that. Once I've checked on the village I'll head up to the forest to check the library as well."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The people of Saiweve scrambled to throw lines between the barges and tie them back together. The wave had hit the floating village at an angle, snapping tethers and ripping rope bridges to shreds. As the barges were finally reconnected to one another, the people began to take stock of other damage.

Mara looked around the living room of the house as she righted one of the chairs by the fire. On the other side of the room, Lyle was picking up the shards of several pieces of broken crockery.

"We were lucky, I think the barges separating actually lessened the damage. Who knows what would have happened if the wave had hit the village broadside."

Lyle dumped the fragments he'd picked up into the bucket at his side.

"Yes, we've been lucky. Most of the wave went under the village... But what about those on the islands? The wave will have hit them a lot harder with the water around them being shallower... I also hope that Eidan and his son weren't out on the sea in that."

Mara came over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Uncle. If they were I'm sure that they're fine."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren clung to the trembling form of Irreilla as the wave faded into the distance.

"Something big is going on, Irreilla, and we need to find out what."

She looked up at him, fear written on her face.

"The people sent to take refuge on the mountain tops... what about them? We need to find them to see if they're alright. They can't have been on the new islands for long if there's been a problem with the sealing. We may be needed to get messages between the groups. There's no way the hyllians could swim between the islands, it'll be too far."

Marren nodded in agreement.

"You're right, and we need to try and find the king as well."

And so the two figures set off to the east, following the path of the wave...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Six days later...

Link looked at the island ahead of him. As soon as things had calmed down on Stone Watcher he had set sail for Outset with the intention of going to the library. He knew a wave like that could never be natural. Its appearance had been too regular, with the band of foaming water being the same width for as far as he'd been able to see. He was just about to hoist the sail higher when a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Link!"

He turned in his seat to see Prince Komali practically sprinting towards the ship. The young Rito landed on the deck in an ungainly heap as he panted with exertion.

"I... finally... caught up... to you..."

Seeing the look on his friend's face, Link became concerned.

"What is it, Komali?"

The prince's breathing began to slow as he regained his breath.

"A few hours before the wave struck Medli took off and headed for the Earth Temple, something about the spirits calling. Just before she left she told me that both she and Makar, along with the three Great Guardians, had all been sensing a kind of tension. They decided not to tell you because they didn't want to intrude on your life when they had no idea if what they were sensing was a threat." He waved a hand around in agitation. "According to her they've been sensing it for _weeks_!"

Link looked hurt for a moment before he sighed.

"I'm annoyed at them, but I understand why they did it. Looks like I have a change of plans. I _was_ going to check out the Hidden Library, but to be honest Aryll will have already been up there and I can be sure that my dad will be heading to Outset as well. Now I'll just check on my sister and grandmother... and we'll head for Headstone Isle to find out what's going on with Medli." He looked at the island ahead. "So how far did it go? How many islands did it hit?"

Komali hesitated before answering.

"I met a number of my tribe while I was trying to catch up with you... The wave hit _all_ the islands and went so far out into the Outer Islands that the tribe's flyers had to stop following it..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"CAN'T THIS SHIP GO ANY FASTER?!!"

Gonzo backed up a step as Tetra vented her frustration at the top of her voice while pacing back and forth on the ship's aft deck.

"I'm sorry, Miss. We have as many sails up as we can and there's nothing we can throw overboard to lighten our load... not unless you'd like to go without food and water, Miss."

The young queen threw her hands in the air in exasperation, before they had set off from Windfall, she had had the Sea spirit stripped of all non essential items in order to get to Outset as fast as possible. The crew were no strangers to uncomfortable conditions, but to see her temper on this scale was completely new to them. They all winced as she swore and kicked the ship's rail. Eidan leaned over to whisper to Gonzo out of the corner of his mouth.

"I knew her mother well and in comparison, Tetra's temper is far far worse than Talani's." They winced again in sympathy as Tetra hopped on one foot while holding the other as she cursed under her breath. "_Far_ worse... We'd best keep our distance until she works off her frustration... Though from the looks of things that may take a while."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link sat there with worry etched on his face as Aryll told him about the feeling she had gotten from her dream just before the wave hit. In emphasis a small tremor shivered through the island. He and Komali had learned that the tremors had been happening frequently ever since the wave, and he would bet it was the same everywhere the wave had passed.

"Things just seem to be getting worse every step of the way." Link got up and looked at Komali. "We need to leave _now_ and go to the Earth Temple. There's nothing more we can learn here. I have as much of an idea as Aryll about where to start looking in that library for anything useful. It's better it we leave that to our dad."

Vallandra rubbed her hands together anxiously.

"Alright, but do be careful, Link."

He smiled at his grandmother.

"Don't worry, I will." He turned to his friend. "Come on, Komali. If we both fly we can be there by tomorrow morning."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three goddesses remained in their circle, eyes fixed on the image unfolding before them as the sound of a harp drifted through air that crackled with energy. Nayru whispered in a voice strained by concentration.

"The spell is not yet complete, the Sage of Earth must keep praying... and we must hope that the Key holds out against our power..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link was thrown back with yell as Komali regarded the barrier that enshrouded the central part of the island. Link had tried everything to get past it and had finally resorted to throwing himself at it. They had arrived on Headstone Isle only to find the entrance to the temple sealed. What made it more frustrating was that they could both hear the faint sound of a harp being played. Komali looked over at his downed friend.

"That's enough, Link, there's no way we're getting through that. What ever is going on in there, someone doesn't want it to be interrupted."

Link got up with a groan of discomfort as his bruised body protested against the movement.

"You needn't worry, I have no intention of having that thing hit me again." He shook his head to clear it of the after effects of his impromptu flight. "I think you'd better head back to Dragon Roost and let Lord Valoo know about this. I'll head to the Forest Haven and tell the Great Deku Tree."

Komali nodded in agreement.

"Ok, I'll meet you back on Outset in about two weeks at the most. Hopefully your dad and Tetra will have reached the island by then."

And with that the two of them took flight and headed off to their destinations with many still unanswered questions running through their minds... as the sound of Medli's harp lingered in their ears...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. I'll update soon.**


	17. Return of the Children

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hi there, before I get this chapter started I would like to ask something. If you are one of the 5 people who have this story in their Favs, or one of the 11 who have it on Alerts, could you please review? ...Pretty please? ...I'd like to know what other people think of this besides my more regular reviewers as it would really help me to improve this story further. So if you have any CC to make then fire away. Also here's a reminder that I have anonymous reviewing active on my stories so if your a non site member reading this you can send me your comments if you want. Happy reading :D**

**(A.N: There's one thing I forgot to explain at the end of chapter 15. When I was thinking up this story I spent some time having a really good look around the Forest Haven and at that time I noticed there were 10 trees in the grotto, the same as the number of Koroks. So I decided that each of the Koroks would be bonded to one of those trees, a bit like a dryad except their lives don't depend on it. i.e if it died then they would plant another tree in the grotto and bond to that. It's just a 'child of the forest' thing, though I may do something with it later.)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Reply:**

**Lil Fang:**

**Thanks for the review, here's the update you wanted.**

Chapter 17: Return of the Children.

The wind rushed through Komali's white hair as he approached Dragon Roost and began to gain altitude as he headed for the island's peak. As if sensing him, Lord Valoo turned his head to look in the direction of the young prince. Komali increased his speed as he made the final part of the ascent and crested the top of the peak, before circling down to land in the area in front of the guardian as he looked on. Valoo regarded him.

"Quill told me that you'd gone to seek out Link. Did you find him?"

Komali silently thanked Medli for teaching him the ancient hylian language as he looked up at the Valoo. He replied in the same language.

"Yes, I found him. I've told him about Medli retuning to the Earth Temple and about the tension you and the others have been sensing. After he checked on his family on Outset we flew to Headstone Isle, but when we got there we found the entrance to the temple has been sealed with a barrier of some kind. Not only that, but we could hear Medli playing the Earth God's Lyric. What ever is going on, she's now involved in it... Can you sense what's going on?"

Valoo shook his head.

"I am sorry but the power I can sense, I can only sense working. I do not know what it is that it is doing..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli continued her prayers, guiding the power of the goddesses to the Master Sword like a beacon lighting the way. She could sense the tremors that continued to hit the islands every day and did what she could to lessen them... but for now most of her attention was on the task given to her. She sensed the power flowing through the Master Sword and also the blade's restraint over that power. As she followed it out with her mind it showed her images of the huge bubbles of energy around which it flowed on its path of change. She smiled. The power of the land was growing and with it the old powers of the forest were retuning. After a millennia of little strength, the Great Deku Tree's full power was finally being restored...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link almost dropped out of the sky when he saw the Forest Haven ahead of him, the profile of the island had completely changed. All that remained of the grotto walls were two sections, one on each of the eastern and southern sides, and from his position he could see that they canted dangerously outwards clearly on the brink of falling over. What also shocked him was that the trees on the island seemed to have trebled in size since his last visit, in the centre around the grotto they reached nearly a third of the way up the remainder of the walls. Another thing he noticed was that the Deku Tree himself seemed to have grown as well. While still the same height, he had a great many more branches that now formed a canopy over the top of the grotto, sheltering it the way the walls had used to. That also appeared to be the reason for the precarious positions of the two remaining walls, as the branches pressed against them.

Frowning in confusion, Link flew over the forest and then down beneath the now vast reach of the Deku Tree's branches, landing on the sun dappled floor of the grotto. He looked across the clearing at the great guardian, surrounded by the flow of water from the sacred forest spring. From here he seemed to be sleeping, at the very least he had his eyes closed... perhaps in deep in thought concerning the unbelievable changes to the island. As Link glanced around at the smaller trees that the Koroks were bonded to, he realised that this is what the forest must have been like back before the Deku Tree and a small section of the forest had been lifted by the gods onto one of the mountain tops and surrounded with the grotto walls, a fact he had learned from the tree during one of his visits.

Link began to tentatively make his way towards the Deku Tree as he took note of the fact that the tree also had a much thicker trunk higher up, no longer looking so skinny as it reached up to the crown of branches above. All around him were the usual clusters of tiny glowing Common Fireflies and the larger lights of the Forest Fireflies, their glow highlighting the tips of the long grass through which they drifted. Link stopped as he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see a boy of about ten running towards him. The child grinned and waved.

"Hi, Link!"

The hero blinked.

"Do I know you? What are you doing here? This part of the forest is usually off limits unless you have the Great Deku Tree's permission." The child remained silent, the grin never leaving his face as he tilted his head and regarded Link, who frowned. "Y'know you remind me of someone..." Suddenly the boy began to mime playing a violin, as a Forest Fairy peered shyly over his shoulder. Link's eyes widened. "...Makar?"

The boy stopped miming and broke out into a wide smile.

"Yep!"

Link still looked shocked.

"But how?"

Makar chuckled.

"The old power of the forest is retuning, that's why the Forest Fairies woke up. It also means that the Children of the Forest have regained the forms our predecessors had. So we're not Koroks anymore, we're Kokiri." Makar glanced at the nearby trees. "When the wave hit the island all our bonded trees started glowing, when that happened we all transformed. At the same time as the trees around the grotto as well as the Deku Tree himself just grew like crazy. The walls of the grotto cracked just before that so when the trees began growing it pushed over parts of the wall." He pointed at the last two sections that could be seen on the far side of the clearing. "And as you can see those last two have just about had it too."

After a moment to get his head around all that he had just been told, Link shook his head in wonder.

"All over the Great Sea the wave caused havoc and yet here it helped. What the heck is going on? What in the name of the winds is Medli involved in?"

Makar blinked.

"Medli?"

Link looked at him.

"You don't know?" Makar continued to look puzzled. Link explained. "Medli headed for the Earth Temple just a few hours before the wave happened. When Komali and I flew there to check on it we found the temple entrance sealed with a barrier and could hear Medli praying."

Makar looked troubled. He sighed.

"If the temple has been sealed then there's nothing we can do about it. We can only trust that whatever is going on, Medli knows what she's doing."

Shouts of excitement echoed across the clearing as Link and Makar saw the Deku Tree open his eyes and look up. Another Kokiri boy charged over.

"The last flower is about to fall! Come on! Come on!"

Link looked at the sage beside him. Seeing the unspoken question, Makar answered.

"That was Linder."

Link tilted his head.

"And the flowers?"

Makar grinned and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the cluster of Kokiri now gathered around the Deku Tree.

"Come and see."

Link soon found himself looking up at a very large flower that was white with pale green edges. After a few minutes of tense waiting, the flower fell. They watched as it drifted serenely down to land in the shallow water in front of them, where it opened to reveal a little girl who looked about six, dressed in green. Link stared in wonder as Makar's fellow Kokiri ran forward to the girl, who sat up and looked around with a expression of bewildered innocence.

"Is she...?"

Makar smiled happily.

"Yes, a new Kokiri. Hers is the last of the five flowers to drop. The others are in the nursery area over there where the Forest Fairies are keeping an eye on them. When Ganondorf attacked before the Hyrule was sealed away, all of the Kokiri but Saria were killed. When the Deku Tree was transported here, the spirits of ten of them were reincarnated, but only ten. The Deku Tree didn't have the strength for more than that, but now he does and so there are sixteen of us again like there should be."

Link looked baffled.

"But there are only fifteen here..."

Makar rolled his eyes.

"Saria should still be alive. She's the Sage of the Forest Temple and was locked within it when the kingdom was sealed. Until we know otherwise we assume she's still alive." Makar peered over the low fence of branches around the nursery area. "Come have a look."

Link looked. There in front of him were four Kokiri, two girls and two boys. Like the one who had just been born, they only looked about six years old. Around them clusters of Forest Fairies hovered protectively. Link whispered to his friend.

"Why do they look so much younger than the rest of you?"

The sage shrugged.

"They just do. They'll grow like hylian children until they look ten, after that they'll stay the same just like the rest of us... Do you want to go in and meet them?"

Link smiled.

"Sure."

Makar gestured for him to follow.

"They're really shy at the moment, so try not to startle them." He paused. "Well... _most_ of them are shy." Link followed Makar into the nursery and stayed behind him as he introduced him. The four young Kokiri looked up from the pile of sticks they had been playing with. "This is Link, he's a friend of the Great Deku Tree and of us. Come and say hi."

Link slowly came forward and crouched down so that his eyes were level with theirs. Three of them inched towards him. A spark of inspiration hit him and he plucked a few small feathers from his arms and held them out to the youngsters. One of the girls took one from his hand and began to stroke it against her own. She smiled.

"Soft!"

Makar grinned as the two others that had come over took feathers as well and soon the three youngsters were giggling and tickling each other with them. The fourth young Kokiri came over and stared Link right in the face.

"You look weird."

Link looked surprised as the Kokiri poked him and continued his blunt and sometimes insulting monologue. Makar chuckled.

"This is Tido, and according to the Deku Tree he acts exactly like his predecessor, Mido. He even looks a lot like him apparently."

Link stood up as Tido continued to poke him at random intervals.

"Now that I think about it, you do actually look a lot like Fado. The only difference is your eyes are different and your hair is messier."

They heard the Deku Tree call out to them. Makar glanced at Link.

"Looks like it's time for the Planting." He turned to the youngsters. "Come with me, it's time for you to get your trees."

One of the little girls began bouncing up and down on the spot.

"Really? Really really?"

Makar laughed.

"Yes, really really. Come with me."

As Makar led them away, Tido finally stopped poking Link and walked off, but not without sticking his tongue out at him first. Link shook his head in bemusement and followed as well. When they reached the Deku Tree, Linder handed Makar his violin. As with their annual ceremony, the sage played as the older Kokiri sang along while above them five seeds formed and then drifted down to the five new Kokiri. At the same time five of the forest fairies came over and paired up with them. As their new partners smiled in joy, the fairies led them to an area where five patches of soil, spaced well apart, had been dug over. Each of them went to a patch and planted their seed, which immediately began to sprout. When the trees were as tall as the ones they were bonded to, they stopped their rapid growth as their leaves shimmered softly in the dappled shade.

Link was about to go over when he heard a faint sigh off to his right. He squinted at the bushes there and saw what looked like a Forest Fairy.

_Why would that one be hiding in there?_

He slipped over to the bush in question and crouched down next to it. He could see the fairy, a female with a look of deep unhappiness on her face. She looked up in surprise when he spoke.

"Why aren't you celebrating with the others? Why are you so unhappy?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you go, plot twist number 2! Hope you liked this. I'll update soon.**


	18. Partner and Friend of Old

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 18. So who is the fairy? Well to be honest it should be fairly obvious already, but here it is in words.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**(A.N: A line of '-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-' indicates the start and end of a flashback)**

Chapter 18: Partner and Friend of Old.

The fairy stared at him for moment as he remained crouched next to the bush. All of a sudden her sad expression was replaced with a scowl and she threw a burst of magic at him.

"GET LOST!!"

The magic hit Link in the face and he toppled back onto his rear. Through the spots dancing in front of his eyes from the bright light, he just managed to see her fly off into the trees surrounding the grotto. He rubbed at his now numb nose as he looked at where she had disappeared from view.

"What was _that_ all about?"

Makar, who had seen the flash of light, came over.

"What happened?"

Link gave the sage a bemused look.

"I saw a Forest Fairy hiding in this bush. I came over and saw she looked unhappy, so I tried to find out what was wrong... Then she hit me in the face with magic and flew off."

A look of understanding came to Makar's face.

"Oh... her. She avoids everyone, even her fellow fairies, and she refuses to speak to anyone either. The other Forest Fairies say she's been like that for a long time, though they won't say why."

Link got back onto his feet.

"Well she spoke to me just now."

Makar looked surprised.

"She did? What did she say?"

Link gave him a wry look.

"She told me to get lost. I don't think she likes hyllians very much."

Makar looked thoughtful.

"Maybe... Perhaps it's time I asked the Deku Tree about her. The young Kokiri keep trying to cheer her up, but can't understand why she keeps flying away. It's upsetting for them and that's the last thing we need, five depressed and tearful Kokiri." He turned and began to head for the Deku Tree, while over in the area where the five new trees were his fellow Kokiri were celebrating. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Do you want to come?"

Link shrugged.

"Sure."

The two of them approached the Deku Tree and stepped onto the lily pad in front of him. After being lifted to the eye level of he guardian, Makar spoke.

"Great Deku Tree, could you tell us why that Forest Fairy keeps avoiding everyone? Her behaviour is upsetting for the new Kokiri and I'd like to be able to at least explain to them why she keeps ignoring them and flying off. Plus she just hit Link in the face with magic. Fairies don't normally act like that."

The Deku Tree regarded them for a few moments.

"I suppose it _is_ time someone else knew... She's lonely and misses her friend. That's why she acts the way she does."

Makar looked shocked.

"She acts like that because she's _lonely_? But she's driving away the people around her, wouldn't that make her even _lonelier_?"

As Link looked as baffled as Makar, the Deku Tree sighed.

"As you know, Makar, the same fairy pairs up with a Kokiri every time that Kokiri is reincarnated. She was partnered once, but not to a Kokiri. She was partnered to a hylian."

The two of them blinked. Link found his voice.

"A hylian?"

The Deku Tree nodded.

"Yes, Link, a hylian. Your ancestor to be precise... She is Navi, the fairy who helped the Hero of Time. After he defeated Ganondorf and sealed him away, the two of them parted ways, but later she returned to him. The problem came shortly after his return to Hyrule, when the inevitable happened. The Hero of Time succumbed to old age and she found herself alone. His family tried to comfort her but she refused their help and returned to the forest. She's been the way she is ever since."

A determined look came to Links eyes.

"I'm going to find her and I'm going to talk some sense into her."

Makar stopped Link just as he was about to jump down from the lily pad.

"But Link, she'll just fly off again."

Link gave the sage a steady look.

"My dad told me about my ancestor's journals and of how he always spoke fondly of a friend called Navi, though he also commented in the journals about how annoying she could be. I'm sure the he wouldn't want her to be like this, and that's why I'm going to try."

Makar let go of him and allowed him to go off into the forest.

"I hope she listens. No one deserves to live alone for as long as she has..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three goddesses stepped back from one another as the last of the power flowed to the Master Sword. Din spoke.

"The spell is complete. Now all that remains is for it to fulfil its task. Once the changes caused by the spell reach their conclusion... It will be up to the people to stabilise them." She turned to her sisters. "It is time we prepared to unlock the protective barriers and the six seals."

Nayru and Farore nodded and fixed their gaze on the image of the world before them, watching as it began to shift...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli gasped as the last of the power flowed though her grasp and she dropped to her knees. Deep in her heart she felt a sudden wrench as it passed though the Master Sword and out into the world. She suddenly became aware of the land moving, on the brink of causing massive earthquakes, and stumbled to her feet to resume praying, as she called on her power to lessen the stress on the land... lest it tear itself apart...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link walked quietly beneath the trees, his boots occasionally scuffing through a pile of fallen leaves. He knew Navi was here, one of the other Forest Fairies had led him here having seen her fly this way. He began to circle the area, checking every possible hiding place he came across. Finally after more than an hour, he sensed someone watching him.

"I know your there, Navi. The Deku Tree told me about how you were the partner of the Hero of Time, and about how you refused the help of his family when they tried to comfort you when he died."

He saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. She was leaning out of the knothole where she had hidden herself.

"That's none of your business! Now go away!"

Before she could fly off, he said something that made her freeze.

"So you're going to run away from his family again? Refuse our friendship... again?"

She turned around very slowly and looked at him.

"You're descended from _him_?"

Link smiled.

"Yep, I'm even named after him."

She flew over slowly and stopped just in front of his face where he could see the hopeful look in her eyes.

"Your name is Link?"

Link nodded.

"And I'm a friend of the Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree, just like my ancestor was. I have another thing in common with him too."

She looked at him curiously, her previous hostility towards him now forgotten.

"What?"

"I'm a hero too." Navi fluttered there with a look of abject shock on her face. Link sat himself on the ground. "Ganondorf came back and I ended up being the one to fight him. With the help of Tetra, the last remaining descendant of the royal family, I defeated him. Since then I've been known as the Hero of Winds because I used the Windwaker to control the wind to aid my journey."

He held a hand up to her and after a moment she flew down and landed on it. Something in her attitude had changed. He let her sit there and said nothing as she muttered away to herself. He looked up at the branches overhead, studying the glimpses of blue sky he could see while the sound of the forest wildlife drifted through the trees around them.

"I've been really silly... haven't I?"

He returned his gaze to her, she was looking right at him from her perch on his hand.

"You were upset, that's all, and you let your grief come between you and the people who wanted to help you. That happens to a lot of people, so it's nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing that matters now is that you've realised that you don't have to be alone. I think my many times great grandfather, Link, would be happy right now. To see his old friend learning to live her life instead of hiding away from it."

She sighed.

"You're right... Well I'm going to go spend some time with the new Kokiri. I've been upsetting them quite a bit, so I'm going to go make it up to them." She fluttered her wings and began to fly away. She paused for a moment and looked back. "Thank you."

And them she was gone.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra dropped her head into her hands after pushing away yet another useless book. They had been on Outset for two days, during which she and Eidan had gone through the only section in the library that would possibly have the information they were looking for. Eidan looked up at her from his position on the floor.

"No luck?"

She shook her head resignedly, he grimaced.

"Well I think we can safely say that the library has nothing in it that's even remotely useful to us in this situation. So what do we do now?"

She lifted her head and got up.

"I think we should wait until Link and Prince Komali get back. They may have found something at the temple..." She looked worried. "I do hope Medli's alright, they've been gone from Outset for several days now according to Aryll."

Eidan got up and came over, placing a hand on the young queen's shoulder.

"Knowing my son, he and Komali probably went to see one of the Guardian Spirits after checking on Medli. Hopefully they've found out something by now."

Tetra picked up the book she had been reading and carefully placed it back where it belonged on the shelf.

"I hope so too. So many strange things have been happening... Medli's sudden return to her temple, the Wave, the schools of fish that have been appearing all over the Great Sea. What ever is going to happen next?"

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the bookshelf, with concern etched upon her face.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Komali raced up to the peak of Dragon Roost as Valoo urged him to hurry up. The moment he reached the top, the dragon began to speak at a volume so that only Komali would hear.

"The flow of power has stopped, but I can still feel it working. Something is still happening out there, you need to get back to Link as soon as possible."

Komali continued hovering in front of the guardian.

"Are you still unable to sense what's going on?"

Valoo sighed.

"Unfortunately, that is the case. No matter how much I try, something continues to cloud my vision. Whatever is going on, it is the work of the gods... and it would seem they are determined to keep us in the dark until the last possible moment..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren and Irreilla peered up through the water at the creature flying above, watching as it landed on the small island less than a hundred yards away.

"What do you think it is, Marren? I've never seen anything like it before."

Marren studied the creature.

"It looks like a hylian with wings and a beak instead of a nose." They watched as what they now realised was some kind of person took a drink from a canteen that had been clipped to their belt. "I've never heard of a race like them."

The figure shifted a little and looked around, muttering something in a language they didn't understand. Almost as if they knew they were being watched. Irreilla tugged on Marren's arm.

"We'd better go. We can't take the risk of them spotting us."

And so they dove deeper into the water and out of sight.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Quill clipped his water bottle back onto his belt and looked around at the sea as the feeling of eyes watching him grew stronger.

"There's something watching me... but then there's nothing there." He checked the sky for airborne watchers. Suddenly the feeling faded and he shrugged. "I guess I'm just a little tense... Well standing here won't get the mail delivered."

And with that he launched himself into the air and flew away.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As Link flew back towards Outset to meet up with Komali, he thought about what Makar had told him that morning, puzzling over what it might mean...

.~~~.

Makar looked at him with a worried expression on his face.

"The Deku Tree says the flow of power has stopped but the power that's now out there is still doing something... but that's not the only thing that's worrying me." He clasped his arms around his chest as Hari fluttered above him in distress at his partner's worry. "Medli has spread her attention across the full reach of the Great Sea and some way into the Outer Islands far to the north-west beyond the Forsaken Fortress. I've no idea what she's doing, I can only sense that it's taking all her concentration." He waved his arms around in agitation. "What could be going on that it's placing so much strain on her? And not only that but I felt a kind of wrenching sensation around about the time the flow stopped. It felt like it was the Master Sword... and something has happened."

.~~~.

Link continued to fly through the air as he mulled over the possibilities.

"What ever is going on, Medli, I know you can get though it." He suddenly felt something shifting around in his delivery bag, which he'd been using to carry his food and water. "What the?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw a little winged ball of light poking out of the top of the bag.

"Man it's stuffy in here."

Link stared in surprise.

"Navi, what are you doing in my bag? I thought you were going to stay and help look after the new Kokiri."

She flew out of the bag and came over until she was next to his face. He could see her grinning.

"Like you said, I ran away from your family before... so now I'm coming back." She tilted her head. "Besides since I'm the only Forest Fairy that's been partnered with a hylian, I'm different from the rest of them now. I guess I'm just not content to stay in the forest like them." She stretched her arms out wide. "I have a whole new world to explore and I really want to see it."

Link grinned.

"And I'd be happy to show it to you. Anything for an old family friend."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you go. Did you spot the joke I made about myself. Take the last bit that Valoo said and substitute 'author' for 'gods' and 'she is' for 'they are'. (Grins) I'll update soon.**


	19. Wait for Now,,,

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so Navi has entered stage left. Get ready for some occasional Navi orientated jokes.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Review Replies for Anonymous Reviewers:**

**jim bob:**

**Thanks for the review. Here's the next update for ya.**

Chapter 19: Wait for Now...

Link glided gracefully through the air as Navi darted and twirled around him laughing out of sheer enjoyment at trying to make him dizzy with her antics. Link glanced at her wryly from the corner of his eye.

"Nice try, Navi, but it'll take a lot more than _that_ to make me dizzy. You're looking at a guy who's ridden cyclones from one side of the ocean to the other dozens of times."

Navi stopped her wild flying and levelled off alongside him. Through the bright glow surrounding her he could just make out that she was pouting.

"Aww, no fair! Why is it I could make Link dizzy but not you?"

Link chuckled.

"You used to do that to make the Hero of Time dizzy?"

She giggled with a great big grin on her face. Her silvery green eyes glittering with amusement.

"Yep, I even managed to make him fall of Epona once."

Link spluttered and burst out laughing.

"You managed to make him fall off his horse? How did he react to that?"

She blinked, looking a little bemused.

"He pulled out his bow and started firing Ice Arrows at me. He was yelling something about how once he'd hit me he was going to use the Megaton Hammer to smash me into little bits... I don't know why."

Link shook his head in amusement at her denseness.

"I'm sure he had his reasons. As for the Ice Arrow thing, I've done that to Floor Masters. They don't seem to like it too much."

Navi looked at him wide eyed.

"Ooo, I never thought of doing that to them before. I always told Link to just hack them with his sword." She tilted her head. "...And then they tended to split into three little ones which kinda got on his nerves. When that happened he used to lose his temper and blast them with Din's Fire... That is if one of them didn't get hold of him first." She crossed her arms and nodded sagely. "Of course if he wasn't fast enough the three little ones would get big so if he attacked them he'd end up with nine little ones and..."

Link interrupted.

"I think I get the idea..."

Navi looked up at the island ahead of them.

"So what island is that?"

Link smiled.

"That's Outset, where my home is. See that big ship at the dock? That's the Sea Spirit, Queen Zyara's ship. She and my dad must both be on the island. They've probably been looking through the library to see if there was anything that might tell us what's been going on lately."

The fairy pointed.

"And what's that? It looks like a big bird." Link looked at where she was pointing. There, dipping and gliding above the island was Komali. Link veered off towards him, Navi racing to catch up. "Hey, where're you going?"

He looked over his shoulder.

"That's a friend of mine, Prince Komali of the Rito Tribe. They live under the protection of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo. A bit like the Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree, except that he's not their 'father' the way the Deku Tree is the father of the Kokiri. When a fledgling Rito comes of age they travel to the top of Dragon Roost Island to get a one of his scales from him. That scale is what causes them to grow wings, and it's how I got mine except that he came here to Outset to give me it as a combined birthday and thank you present."

It was then that Komali spotted Link. He changed direction and flew round to come up alongside the hero.

"Hi, Link. So did the Deku Tree have any idea of what's going on?"

Navi chose that moment to fly right up in front of Komali's face.

"HI!"

The young prince dropped several feet out of sheer surprise before flapping his wings vigorously to regain the lost altitude.

"What the heck is _that_ thing!?"

Navi crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I'm a Forest Fairy and my name is Navi. I helped the Hero of Time beat Ganondorf all those years ago..." She flew up to him, so close to his face he was almost cross eyed. "So I'd appreciate it if you would be polite and not call me a 'thing'!"

Komali stared at her speechless. Her tone had definitely held an 'or else'.

"Um... sorry it's just you surprised me, that's all... I'm, uh... I'm Prince Komali of the Rito Tribe."

She dropped the glare and smiled sweetly.

"It's nice to meet you."

Link was just about to enquire as to whether she had a split personality, when he decided that would be a very _bad_ idea. He looked at Komali instead.

"So how long have you been waiting for me?"

Komali tilted his wings and swooped downwards as they made their final approach to the area in front of Link's house.

"Two days. Lord Valoo couldn't tell me anything. All he could pick up was that the gods are involved and that the flow of power has now stopped... Though the power that's out there is still doing _something_."

The two of them landed, Navi circling above them as Link straightened his tunic.

"The Deku Tree said the same thing, and you wouldn't believe what's happened at the Forest Haven." Komali looked at him questioningly. Link shook his head. "Let's get in the house first so I can tell everyone all at once."

The two of them went though the door, Navi flying in above their heads. Once inside the house they could see that Link's family, along with Tetra, were sitting together on the low, cushion covered benches in the corner. Tetra got up the moment they came though the door.

"Link, you're back. Did the Deku Tree know anything?"

Link shook his head.

"He said the same thing Lord Valoo did. Makar however had something a little more useful, though not by much." Navi poked him. "Oh and this is Navi. She's the Forest Fairy who aided the Hero of Time. She's decided to return to my family after two and a half thousand years away."

Navi landed on his head.

"Hi!" She leaned over so that she was upside down in front of his face. "So are you going to tell them what happened at the Forest Haven?"

Link pushed her up out of his eyes.

"I will if you give me a chance." He looked at the others. "Makar said he can sense that Medli has spread her attention, and thus her power, all across the Great Sea and a fair distance into the Outer Islands to the north-west of the Forsaken Fortress. He couldn't tell what she's doing, only that it's taking all her concentration. He also said something about the Master Sword, that it might be involved in some way as well."

As Navi began exploring the house, Link and Komali each found a space on one of the two benches. Eidan sighed.

"You're right, that's only _slightly_ more useful than what Valoo and the Deku Tree said." He looked at Link. "So what else has happened at the Forest Haven?"

Link cleared his throat.

"Well... the Koroks aren't Koroks anymore. They've turned back into the form of their predecessors, the Kokiri. The walls of the Deku Tree's grotto have broken and collapsed, all the trees on the island are three times the size they were before the Wave, the Deku Tree himself is bigger, and the spirits of five Kokiri have been reincarnated. According to Makar that means the Kokiri are back up to their full compliment of sixteen, but there's only fifteen on the island since the sixteenth is Saria the Sage of the Forest Temple, and she was locked within her temple when Hyrule was sealed."

Everyone just looked at him, stunned. Finally Eidan found his voice.

"Well that's certainly surprising. It's good to know the wave has had some visibly good effect, it let's us know that things may be happening for the better not the worse." He looked around to Tetra. "So what do we do now? The library has nothing useful in it and now the spirits know nothing as well... The events at the Forest Haven don't tell us much either."

Tetra sat herself down again.

"Well it's getting very close to the Founding Festival. I suggest for now we go about our business as normal." She looked at Eidan. "I need to be on Windfall for the festival, if we cancel it the people may start to panic when what's happening may not be serious, simply because by cancelling it will seem like something's wrong. For now we need to just keep things calm."

Navi began inspecting the pans hung from pegs on the wall by the hearth, bored because everyone was ignoring her. Aryll smiled.

"Yeah, Tetra's right." She turned to Valandra. "Since Tetra and Dad will be going back to Windfall, can we go as well? I've never been to Windfall for the big part of the festival held there and I really want to watch the boat race." She looked at Link eagerly. "Are you going to enter it, Big Brother?"

Link grinned.

"Of course. I have a reputation as the Great Sea's best sailor to uphold."

Aryll turned her gaze back to her grandmother.

"Please, Grandma..."

Vallandra gave her a kindly smile.

"Yes, but only if Tetra agrees that we can travel on her ship... and if your father gives his permission."

Eidan squirmed a little as Aryll turned her hope filled eyes on him.

"Alright, you can go... but you have to behave yourself."

Tetra smiled.

"And I'd be happy to take you to Windfall on the Sea Spirit, though the trip may be a little uncomfortable since we stripped the Sea Spirit down to the hull before we came here."

Aryll broke into a grin and started to cheer, while Valandra told Tetra that it was fine, but was cut off by the sound of several pans clattering to the floor. Everyone turned to look at a rather sheepish looking Navi.

"Um... Sorry..." She flew over. "Are you going to talk to me now? Are you done with all the serious doom and gloom stuff?"

Everyone just stared at her.

"..."

Aryll held a hand out.

"Sorry, Navi, we _have_ been ignoring you." When Navi landed on her hand, Aryll brought it level with her eyes. "So you travelled with my ancestor? That's _so_ cool." She grinned. "My name's Aryll by the way, and that's my dad, Eidan, and my grandma, Vallandra."

As Aryll pointed them out, Navi seemed to be overcome by a fit of extreme enthusiasm. She immediately began zipping back and forth between all of them, making excited and happy comments every time she stopped by or on one of them. Link watched all this with a growing sense of having taken on more than he could handle.

_Yep, she definitely has a split personality..._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren and Irreilla studied the island before them, their eyes only just clearing the surface of the water. On its peak was the ruins of an old tower, below which was a village that was clearly long established. The stone of the houses worn smooth on the corners from the wind and rain of many years. They also studied the small number of ships and smaller boats at the village's dock. All were well built and showed signs of long use travelling the sea. Not only that, but the people of the village were clearly hyllian and yet they spoke the same strange language that the two of them had heard the bird man use a few days before. Irreilla looked concerned.

"Marren, if Hyrule had only just been sealed then there's no way the there would be a village this well established, and they wouldn't have boats like those either." She glanced at the dock. "They are clearly built for the conditions we've come across while travelling here. How would the people know those conditions if they hadn't had the time to refine the design over years of experience?"

Marren looked lost.

"They wouldn't... and that means we've been sealed away for at least enough time for them to learn." He continued to look at the village. "But for the language to have changed as well, means that it's been a lot longer than would be needed to refine those ships." He put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to an obvious cargo ship that was just starting to leave the dock. "Come on, let's follow that ship and see where it goes. Maybe we can learn more about what's happened."

She nodded, and then they disappeared below the surface.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link looked up as Navi once again began making comment after comment about the Red Lion, the weather, the shape of the waves today, on and on and on. She had done this several times during the last two weeks, never seeming to get bored with flitting around the ship's rigging in her endless curiosity. During the first two occasions he had answered her and instantly regretted it when the barrage of questions that followed lasted for several hours. Now he just let her get on with it while he concentrated on sailing to his next stop, Eyestone.

He thought back to the visit to Dragon Roost and chuckled. She had taken one look at the size of Lord Valoo and had hidden in his cabin for the rest of the time on the island. Much to the guardian's amusement. He then groaned inwardly when he thought about how it had been on Windfall. She had knocked the contents of two market stalls over and on to the ground when, in a burst of excitement and over enthusiasm, she had taken part in a game of hide and seek and got overzealous in finding a hiding place. The children she'd been playing with had loved every minute of it, but as for the shopkeepers and himself, they'd not been too happy and he'd had to hand over a total of three hundred rupees to pay for the damages. After all that he'd given her a thorough scolding, reminding her that it he had to pay for her misbehaving then that was money out of what he was earning to support his family. When he was done, Navi had sworn on her honour as a fairy that she wouldn't do anything like that again... and it was a promise that she definitely would keep. The Queen of the Fairies may appear to be a child, but she was not one to mess with, Link knew that for certain. So if Navi ever did break her promise she'd be in serious trouble.

Just then a Sea Octo stuck its head above the water and spat a ball of explosive goo at the Red Lion. Link ignored it knowing that the ship was well beyond its range. Navi however nearly had a fit and flew over to the irate sea creature.

"Hey! Look out! It's a..." She stopped her mad circling of the Sea Octo, she had an odd expression on her face. "Actually I don't know what it is." It took a shot at her. Link couldn't blame it since she was right above it and had been yelling her head off. It just missed her. "WHOA!"

As she dashed back to the safety of the ship, Link pulled out his bow and fired, hitting the Sea Octo dead centre. Navi watched as it twitched once and sank beneath the waves. Link gave her a wry look.

"Out here on the sea, leave the warning to me. I actually know what's out here and what their weaknesses are... unlike you."

Navi began to splutter with fury.

"Why you!" She glared at him for several seconds before she realised he was laughing at her reaction. She blushed with embarrassment. "Well... I... Oh, whatever! Fine! You're right, I'll shut up about the sea creatures for now."

She flew off in a huff and sat on the top of the mast where he couldn't see her, though he could still hear her muttering. He settled himself comfortably next to the tiller and relaxed as the sea rolled past beneath him.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The jagged remains of Great Fish Isle stood up in sharp relief against the horizon. A lasting reminder of the terrible damage that had been done here by Ganondorf in his attempt to find and destroy Lord Jabun and prevent him giving Nayru's Pearl to Link.

The merchant leaned against the mast of his raft, enjoying a mid morning snack of a particularly tasty rock he'd found. Suddenly there was a tremendous splash, follower by a wave that lifted his raft several feet before dissipating into the open ocean. He turned and looked in the direction the sound had come from and gasped in surprise as he saw the rest of one of the rock spires crumble and disappear beneath the water.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. Oh and that thing about ending up with 9 little floor masters... that happened to me once. (Sweatdrops) I was as good as dead when it happened. I never got out of the room... alive.**

**I hope you liked this. I'll update soon.**


	20. Preparing for a Festival

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 20.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Anonymous Review Replies:**

**jim bob:**

**I'm glad you liked the humour.**

**Sorry but I can't say. That would be giving things away.**

**Yes he's a Goron. All three of the merchants are obviously gorons when you see them, though they're never actually called that in the game.**

**Lastly, here's the update you wanted.**

Chapter 20: Preparing for a Festival.

Link smiled as Navi darted in and out of each of the various pots, jars and boxes he'd set up on the deck. He'd hidden a number of treats in them and filled them with sand from an island they'd passed. Now as she searched them the deck was rapidly being covered by a layer of it as plumes erupted from the containers due to Navi enthusiastically throwing it out of them in great chunks. Every so often this activity would be punctuated by a happy cry as Navi found one of the paper wrapped fragments of sweet dough, an island recipe that she'd become particularly found of, and promptly devoured it before resuming chucking the sand out of whatever container she was currently in until it was empty. Link chuckled. He'd come up with this idea as a way to keep her occupied during the long stretches of sailing between the stops on his route and this was the first time he'd tried it, to much success. In fact Navi was so engrossed in the activity that she had failed to notice that no less than seven Sea Octos had taken pot shots at the ship while she had her nose in the sand.

It was when Navi had emptied about half of the containers that Link heard the sound of wing beats behind them. He turned to see one of the Rito postal flyers approaching. As he flew over he hovered for a moment.

"Hoy there, Link, how long will it take you to reach Eyestone? I can let them know when I get there."

Link considered the current wind and sea conditions as well as his current location.

"...I should be there some time tomorrow afternoon."

The man nodded and resumed his flight towards Eyestone as Link waved him off, knowing that if the Rito were in such a hurry that he hadn't stopped for even a drink, he must be behind schedule, perhaps delayed by the storm that Link had noticed forming behind him the day before. Shrugging, Link turned his attention back to Navi and smiled in amusement as he realised she was still searching the containers and hadn't noticed the Rito fly over. As he leaned back against the board behind the tiller, he looked up at the clouds scattered above and wondered what his sister and grandmother were up to on the Sea Spirit.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"GIVE ME BACK MY GLASSES!!"

Tetra and Vallandra watched as Mako, half blind, chased Aryll around the deck. Occasionally running into his crew mates due to his reduced ability to spot them in time as she darted around, waving his glasses in the air like a trophy as he yelled at her to give them back.

Vallandra, looking on at this scene, shook her head, both amused and somewhat concerned about Aryll's behaviour. She looked at Tetra.

"Is it really alright for her to be doing that?"

Tetra looked over from her position, sprawled against the ship's rail. She had been there for a while and was enjoying the time she could spend sat like this with out having to act prim and proper.

"She did that all the time when the crew looked after her when she was rescued from the Forsaken Fortress. They see it as a part of having her on board and take great amusement out of it." She laughed. "Even Mako enjoys it, though you'd be hard pressed to get him to admit it outright. He may have minded the first few times she did it back then, but I know for a fact that after Ganondorf was defeated and Aryll retuned home, he missed having her around." She looked around at her crew. "They all missed her, and I think it's all too likely that as soon as she's old enough I may find myself with a crew pestering me to ask her to join."

Vallandra seemed to think it over before she smiled at the young queen.

"If it's what she wants when the time comes, I have no problem with it." She looked up at the crow's nest where Eidan was leaning against the mast, looking out across the sea. "I think that my son-in-law would also agree. After all, by offering to tutor you he's basically become a part of your crew, so I doubt he would object to Aryll coming along as well... She sees you as being like a big sister, did you know that?"

Tetra looked surprised.

"She does?" Seeing Vallandra's nod of confirmation, she sighed and looked over at the would-be spectacle thief, still being chased by the apparently irate Mako, who seemed to be trying not to smile as he pursued her. "Now that you mention it, I think of her as being like a little sister." She looked sidelong at Vallandra. "For as long as I can remember I've always wanted siblings, but being an only child I have to make do without. But these last few years, visiting Outset, I always liked to spend time just having fun and playing games with her... I guess growing up on this ship, becoming the captain at such a young age, I never got much of a childhood. So when Aryll accepted my company so readily, it was like all of a sudden I got it back."

Vallandra tucked the blanket across her lap a little more securely down the sides of the low chair she was sat in. She smiled kindly at Tetra.

"And you deserve it, dear. After all you've had to go through in your life, you deserve it."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The sun had just cleared the horizon, its light glinting through the water to shine upon the two figures hidden there. Nearby was the village that they had first found a little under two week previously. Two weeks that had done little to change their understanding of what had happened.

Marren watched as Irreilla scowled, angry at their current situation.

"It's no good, we can't understand a word they say! We'll never find out what's been going on, what's happened! It's hopeless!"

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight as her scowl faded and she started to sob, her despair at their lack of success finally getting to her. As she continued to tremble, he looked up through the water and saw another of the bird folk fly overhead to the island. However he saw this one do something different. The bird-man pulled a length of cloth out of the compartment in the back of what he now knew was a post box, and tied it to the pole on which the bell the bird folk used to announce their arrival hung. As he looked closer at the cloth, he could see what looked like a stylised boat stitched onto it. When the bird-man rung the bell, Marren saw a number of the sailors on the ships look up and one ship, which had been preparing to leave, began to instead tie everything down again. The crew disembarking and returning to the village and stroll around the small market set up by the dock.

As Irreilla continued to cry, he considered what he had just observed. Curious as to what that length of cloth meant... that it would cause a merchant ship to suddenly remain in dock when it had clearly been about to leave.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The afternoon sun light shone down upon Link as he loaded parcels onto his trolley and pushed it to the post box, seeing the length of cloth tied above it to let any of the merchants who carried parcels know that he was due to arrive. Before he had even reached it, the captain on one such vessel approached him.

"Hoy there, do have any parcels for Ocean Crest? I held off leaving this morning just in case."

Link stopped and regarded the man with a nod.

"Yes, they're on the deck of my ship set out ready to pick up. You can't miss them. I'll be at the post box for a while so if you could meet me there once you've loaded them to sign my record sheet."

The captain nodded and turned to look over at his crew who were browsing the market.

"Get over here you lazy lot, we've got some packages to load! I want them in the hold and strapped down before the hour is up. We leave on the evening tide." As his crew scrambled to the Red Lion, which their captain had pointed to, he turned to regarded Link. "Well then I'll let you get on with your work. I'll meet you at the post box shortly."

As he walked away, Link continued to his destination and rang the bell. Getting his writing equipment out as he waited for the people to come and collect their parcels.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren and Irreilla peered curiously through the water at the young man now collecting parcels from the villagers, writing on the sheet of paper he held as each one, plus a small amount of money, was handed to him.

"So that's what that length of cloth meant. It was to let them know that that man was due to arrive."

Irreilla, studied the parcels.

"Those packages would be too big for those bird-folk to carry, that man must have an arrangement with them."

Marren pointed to the merchant ship that had stopped in dock earlier.

"That merchant must have an arrangement too. Probably to carry parcels to that floating village west of here."

Irreilla nodded in agreement. However a sudden commotion erupted on the deck of the ship that belonged to the man at the post box. A ball of light was zipping madly among the sailors moving the packages off the ship's deck, it then darted over to the man and circled him urgently. They heard him say something in that strange language, causing the light to cease its frenzied flight. As it came to a stop in front of him, the two of them could see it had wings. Marren gasped.

"A fairy? What's a fairy doing with a hyllian?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As Navi fluttered in front of him, Link reassured her.

"It's alright, Navi. I should have told you that I was leaving the parcels on deck to be collected." He wrote something on a scrap of paper. "Here, could you give this to their captain? It's an apology for the trouble caused by my not telling you. I should have realised you'd think the ship was being robbed and try to defend it."

Navi accepted the piece of paper.

"No problem. I'll be right back."

He watched as she flew over to the captain and handed him the note. He glanced over at Link and nodded in understanding and acceptance of the apology. As the last of the parcels were removed from the deck, he came over. At this point, Navi decided to hide under the collar of Link's tunic.

"Your little friend gave my crew quite a surprise there, it should teach them to stay alert from now on. Some of them get a little too relaxed when we're in port and it can lead to mistakes when we go back out to sea."

Link smiled in thanks.

"Still, I'm sorry for the trouble. She was asleep in my cabin when I docked so I decided not to wake her, when I should have in order to tell her what would be going on."

The captain gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"It's no problem, lad. Truth be told I thought it was quite funny to see them ducking like that when she started dive bombing them."

Link laughed and handed his record sheet to the captain. He pointed to a line underneath one section of the list.

"I bet it was... Would you sign there please. I'd like to catch the evening tide myself and I still have this lot to stow."

Link indicated the large pile of packages that barely fit on the fairly large trolley. The captain smiled wryly.

"Aye, you've got a fair bit there. I'll let you get back to work. Winds speed you to your destination, lad, and may fair weather smile on ya."

Link shook his hand.

"You too."

As the captain walked away to his ship, Link put the now signed sheet into the post box along with the postage fees, before pushing the near overloaded trolley back to the Red Lion.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Just over three weeks later, found Link heading directly to Windfall having picked up Makar from the Forest Haven and Lyle and Mara from Saiweve, to take them to the main part of the Founding Festival on the island now just a few hours ahead of them. Throughout the trip from Eyestone he had had the strangest feeling of being followed but had ignored it in favour of concentrating on getting his passengers to Windfall in time for the start of the festival. Since picking up Lyle and Mara, he had been sleeping on the deck with Makar to allow the niece and uncle to have a cabin each. Neither he nor Makar minded, after all they were both used to sleeping outside and the weather had been warm and dry, the sea calm beneath the steady wind that was speeding them towards their destination. As he gazed up at the stars, for a brief moment the feeling of being watched grew stronger, but when he sat up and looked around all he could see was open water. Shaking his head at his jumpiness, he lay back alongside the softly snoring Kokiri and pulled his blanket tightly around him. Before finally falling asleep.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren and Irreilla clung to the stern of the ship, just below the waterline where they couldn't be seen and the turbulence hid them from magical scrutiny... with a little help from Irreilla's own minor magical ability, which made them seem to blend in with the natural magic of the water. As the ship cut through the waves, she glanced at her friend.

"This guy is definitely not an average sailor. He's a hyllian but has wings like those bird-folk, he's followed by a fairy and now he has a Kokiri on board his ship. Just who the heck is he?"

Marren shifted a little to make himself more comfortable on his precarious perch just above the rudder.

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself. It looks like we made a good decision when we decided to follow him. It's certainly better than trailing those merchant ships."

Irreilla rolled her eyes and shook her head at the memory.

"Tell me about it. Trailing those ships was useless, but at least now we have a good chance of learning something new."

Marren nodded.

"Yes, and from the way he's been acting this afternoon, I think we've nearly reached the place he's going. Maybe, just maybe, we'll have more luck this time."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so it continues. When will Link notice his unknown passengers? You'll find out soon.**


	21. The Founding Festival

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 21, get ready for some fun because it's time for the Festival!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**Anonymous Review reply:**

**jim bob:**

**I'm glad you liked it.**

**The bit with Aryll is based on what she says in the letter she sends to Link just after she's rescued from the Forsaken Fortress. I couldn't resist putting it in.**

**Yep it nearly did, didn't it? But not quite... heh heh.**

**Bring back those three? Maybe...**

Chapter 21: The Founding Festival.

Flags and banners fluttered in the wind all over the island while below them people bustled about here and there, setting up trestle tables and benches. Down on the island's open grassy area, others were marking out a dance square and a putting up a platform for the musicians who would begin to play shortly. Over at the Royal Compound, the banners bearing the royal crest had also been changed to match those used for the festival and to also show the support the royal family gave to the event. As all this was going on, four people walked up from the dock, a fifth much smaller one flying above them, heading up to the market square to help set things up.

Link and his passengers had arrived late the night before and had elected to sleep on the ship rather than disturb the landlady of the inn, and now that dawn had come they were eager for the coming festivities to begin. As they stepped off the dock, Link spotted Candy in the middle of the throng to their left and tossed a small bag of rupees to him, grinning as the Portmaster caught the bag and waved.

"There's two days mooring fees there and a little extra for yourself. Enjoy the festival."

Candy nodded and returned the grin.

"Thanks a lot, you enjoy yourself as well, ya hear."

When the five of them reached the market they found that most of the work had already been done. All that was left was to put the food and refreshments out onto the tables ready for the evening celebration. Mara, her arms loaded with a large urn of Sea Berry jam, turned and looked at Lyle.

"I'd better get this to Gillian. I promised her I would bring the jam and at this rate she's probably worried she won't have it to make the pastries for the party. I'll see you all later at the dance square."

Mara darted off with a light step and slipped through the crowd, heading for the cafe. As they watched her go, Makar was the next to speak.

"Well since we're splitting up, I may as well head down to the musician's platform." He gestured to the violin hung on a strap across his back. "You know me, I'm never one to pass up an opportunity for a performance."

And with that Makar ran under one of the arches that led to the paths down to the island's field. Lyle chuckled.

"And then there were three." He looked sidelong at Link. " Do you want to head down to the beach and check out the boats that'll be used for the race? We're bound to find your father down there if I know him at all... and I do."

The young hero grinned.

"Sure, let's go."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Mara hurried up the cafe steps and turned to push the door open using her back. As she entered the room beyond she was struck by a wave of heat filled with the smell of baking, all topped off with the sound of Gillian telling some unfortunate sailor to get out of her way. As she turned round again, having passed fully through the door, she saw who was getting the telling off.

"Come on, Gillian. Surely you can do me _one_ pastry with pepper? Please? You know how much I like pepper."

Mara tried her best not to smile as Gillian chewed him out.

"_You don't put pepper in a sweet pastry and I'm not going to make you one! If you want pepper so much, HERE!"_ She threw a small pepper shaker at him, which he barely managed to stop from hitting him in the face. "_Put the pepper on yourself when you get your food later!_" He began to beat a hasty retreat towards the cafe door, and just as he reached it she yelled. "_And don't you dare forget to bring my shaker back!"_ As Gummy fled, it was then that she spotted Mara and hurried over with a smile of relief. "Oh Goddesses bless, Mara, you're here. Is that the jam?"

Mara passed the urn with a smile to Gillian, who immediately opened the lid to check the contents.

"Of course it is, Gillian. Surely you didn't think I would let you down." She glanced about the mostly empty cafe. There were trays of finished sweet and savoury food on every available table and surface. "Though from the looks of things you've already made everything _except_ the jam pastries."

Gillian headed for the door behind the counter that led to the kitchen, gesturing to Mara to follow. Once inside she could see that on the counter top was a number of bowls filled with sections of pastry. As Mara giggled at the obvious set up, Gillian smiled in amusement.

"As you can see the pastry is ready, all I needed was the jam. Come over and help me put them together."

And so as Gillian layered the jam between several pieces of the dough and cut it into squares, Mara dusted the surface in front of her with flour and rolled out larger thin pieces that she used to wrap the squares. Twisting the corners together making it look as though each pastry had a flower set on top, while off in the distance they could hear the musicians start playing the first music of the day.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Dressed in a simple and yet formal outfit, a plain band of gold across her forehead, Tetra sat just off to one side of the musician's platform, watching as Makar led the group of players from all over the islands in yet another light-hearted tune, his smile of enjoyment never leaving his face.

_To think that deep down he's worrying about what's going on. With Medli in her temple and the entrance sealed, all he can tell is that for now she's alright._

Tetra shook her head to clear it of those thoughts. Here and now it was time for the Founding Festival and she was determined to enjoy it, just as Makar probably was. Hence his smile. With a sigh, she got up and began to walk over to where the slingshot and archery targets were being set up, mulling over whether she should enter one of them. She stopped by the pot of arrows and smiled wickedly. Yes, she'd enter one, the archery contest. The one competition where she had a chance of beating Link.

Hearing shouts of excitement, she looked down to the beach and saw that the race flag had been raised. Letting all those who were competing know that the race would soon begin. She cursed as she realised that if she didn't hurry back to the dance square she was going to be late for her own speech. Tetra hoisted her skirts up to her knees and ran back to the musician's platform where the players were just setting their instruments aside. Having stopped just short of the crowd where she was hidden, she straightened out her skirt and checked her hair, before walking over to the platform and up the steps onto it. The vision of what a queen was expected to look like. She turned and faced the gathered crowd who were just standing straight again having bowed or curtseyed to her as she had made her appearance. She regarded the people, _her_ people, and smiled.

"People of the Great Sea, I welcome you to this festival that marks the anniversary of the re-founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule. It has been four years since we were reunited under the banner of the Royal Family and I must say that it is an honour to be your queen. The people of the Great Sea are hardy, resourceful and endlessly inventive at solving problems, and at the same time are joyful, full of hope and happy to co-operate with each other, which is what has allowed us to flourish on our beautiful ocean, no matter what it throws our way." Murmurs of agreement went through the crowd. Tetra continued. "And so I now declare to you all that the fourth Founding Festival is now open, and I wish you all good luck for the coming year."

As the crowd cheered, one woman among them called out.

"All hail, Queen Zyara! Godesses' blessings to you my lady!"

The whole crowd took up the cheer as Tetra blushed at the praise, humbled by the support of the people who had in fact once feared herself and her crew. Finally the crowd began to disperse, most heading to the beach to watch, or compete in, the Great Boat Race. When Tetra descended from the platform to follow them, she was met by her crew. Gonzo, Mako, Niko, Zuko, Senza and Nudge, and as she headed for the beach they formed an honour guard around her, escorting her to her position on the plinth set up on the beach. She picked up the flag that was set in a holder on the plinth and lifted it into the air as she looked across the water to the nine small race boats waiting there. Suddenly, with a great flourish, she swept the flag down, starting the race.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link looked at the occupants of the boats either side of him, a look of challenge in his eyes. When he and Lyle had reached the race registration they had discovered that his father had entered. Not about to be out done by his friend, Lyle had promptly entered without even checking what type of boats they would be using. Now the three of them sat in the eight foot long 'dingys', as Lyle had called them, with their single lanteen sail, waiting as the queen took up the flag and raised it. Their eyes focused on that scrap of linen, tied to a stick, and leapt into action as it descended.

In a split second Link had his sail up, closely followed by his father and Lyle. Behind the three of them ranged Gummy, Candy, Dampa, Kane and two other sailors with whom Link wasn't familiar. Loot, who with his experience with his Boat Course, had set up the race and had for obvious reasons not been allowed to compete. Not that he seemed that disappointed considering the grin Link had seen on his face as he checked out who was racing today.

As the boat began to move forward, Link eyed the waves in front of him and rather than go in a straight line through them, he used the rudder to take an apparently random course... Random that is until the people on the shore could see him picking up speed far faster than those behind him. Seeing what Link was doing, Lyle and Eidan tried to emulate him, to only limited success as they discovered that it was far harder to judge the waves than it looked. Link looked back over his shoulder as he rounded the first buoy, waving at his father and Lyle as he continued to pull ahead of the two friends. Realising that they had no chance of catching him, they looked at each other. Without saying a word a fierce competition sprang up between them as they began to vie for second place, neither of them seeming to gain the upper hand as they passed buoy after buoy until they heard a cheer off in the distance. The two of them spared a glance in the direction of the noise and saw the waving of the race flag as Link passed the finish line.

Lyle called over to Eidan.

"Let's see which of us old time sailors remembered his skills the best."

The look that Eidan favoured him with clearly said, 'you're on!'

As they continued to try and get ahead of each other, their obvious competition seemed to fire the crowd. The cheering growing louder every time one of them came close to pulling ahead of the other. Finally one of them saw an eddy in the water off to one side and suddenly remembered an old trick. As he neared it he swerved into it, the sudden increase in the current under his boat boosting him past his friend to take second place as the crowd roared.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Lyle groaned as Link and Eidan showed off their medals for first and second place as he absently fingered the third place medal around his own neck.

"I should have spotted that eddy and blocked you. You were always fond of using that trick."

Eidan laughed and patted his friend on the back.

"Still you've got to admit, two sailors who haven't sailed in twelve years, getting second and third place in their first race afterwards, is something that's going to be talked about for a long time."

Dampa came over along with other sailors who had taken part in the race, who all proceeded to congratulate the trio.

"I think we all agree with that. I haven't seen a battle like that in all the years I've taken part in races." He turned to Link. "And you, lad, you certainly upheld your reputation. I had no idea those little things could go that fast."

Link glanced in the direction of the archery range.

"Well it looks like the next contest is about to begin."

Kane regarded the young man.

"So just how many of the contests are you entering?"

Link chuckled and gave Kane a wry look.

"Just the boat race and the archery. I considered entering the slingshot competition, but the fact is if I threw the stone I'd hit the centre every time, while if I used the slingshot I'd be lucky to hit it at all."

They all laughed at this, mentioning a few of their own mishaps that involved slingshots, and headed for the row of targets. When they reached it, Link walked over to register and then selected a bow and three arrows from those provided before taking his place in the line up. As he checked who else was in the line he nearly dropped his bow in surprised when he spotted Tetra waving at him from the far end. She pointed out Mako who had taken her place on the nearby plinth. Mako straightened his glasses, clearing his throat as he did so.

"Are all the archers ready?" When no one spoke he continued. "Alright then, take up your place in front of your target. The one with the lowest score from three arrows will be knocked out." Once all the competitors were in place he called out. "Ready... Aim... FIRE!"

Twenty bowstrings twanged as the first arrows were fired followed by each of the archers second and third shots. The scores were then counted and the first competitor was dismissed. Round after round followed until only four were left and Link found himself paired up against one while Tetra was paired up against the other. She winked at him.

"Make sure you win your match up. I want to see which of us is really better with a bow, especially since I used one to help you defeat Ganondorf."

Link smirked and brought up his bow to take his three shots. In less than two seconds all three thunked into the centre ring of the target, clustered together right in the middle. From the look on his opponent's face, it was clear the man knew he couldn't beat him, but to give him his due he tried anyway, getting a pat on the back from Link when the last of his arrows strayed off to one side of the centre. The man nodded his thanks for the support and moved back from the line. As he glanced over, Link saw that Tetra had also beaten her opponent. She grinned at him as Niko brought over the two sets of coloured arrows that would be used for the last round, handing one set to Link and the other to Tetra. The two of them stood ready as a much smaller target was set up. Mako once again addressed them.

"You will each take turns firing a shot at the target. The one with an arrow the closest to the centre will win. Now as she has a total preliminary round score of five hundred and ninety verses Link's score of five hundred and eighty-seven, Queen Zyara will go first. When you are ready, begin."

Tetra stood sideways on to the target and took aim. Her first shot landed on the very edge of the bulls eye. Link readied his own shot and fired, his striking the target a little further in. Taking this as a challenge, Tetra's next shot hit just to the left of dead centre, quickly followed by Link's shot which landed the same distance to the right. The crowd held their breath as the last two shots were fired and the judge stepped forward. The last two arrows had hit the centre right next to each other. Unable to tell by eye which was closer, the judge took two lengths of string and crossed them through the centre of the target after removing the outer four arrows. Finally after several minutes of careful consideration, he pulled one of the arrows out and waved it in the air to signal the winner. Cheer's erupted from the crowd while Link gave Tetra a chargrinned smile as she cheered at her victory.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Out in the water just off the shore, Marren and Irreilla were watching the festivities with a not inconsiderable amount of confusion. Being unable to understand a word of what was being said, they had no idea what this celebration was about. They had watched as the man they had followed won the race and then come very close to wining the archery. The winner of that contest, the woman, had seemed somewhat familiar to them and seemed to be important, but they just couldn't figure it out.

Irreilla sighed.

"I wish I knew what they're celebrating."

Marren didn't take his eyes off what was going on the island.

"Well maybe if we keep watching we can figure it out."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As the people assembled in the dance square, Miss Marie, the school teacher, stepped onto the platform and addressed the crowd.

"Everyone, as this is the Founding Festival, the children have decided to do a re-enactment of the Hero of Wind's journey and of the Refounding. So if you'd all like to take a seat around the platform, we will begin."

A little girl stepped onto the corner of the platform, as Link squirmed with embarrassment where he sat with his family who had just come over to meet him. They watched as she took a deep breath and put her hands behind her back.

"The Hero of Wind's journey began on the island of Outset." There was a scuffle behind the platform and a number of shaped boards that looked like Outset sprang up. "A monster bird came and dropped the pirate leader on the island." At this point a child dressed in a bird costume unceremoniously dumped Potova on the stage. "The hero rescued her from the monsters in the forest but the monster bird came back and took his sister away." Ivan came on stage with a wooden sword and chased the 'monsters', other children in costumes, away. This was followed by another blond girl running across the stage, chased by 'monster bird' only to be caught and pulled screaming off the side of the platform. "The hero asked the pirate leader to take him to where the monster bird lived, so they sailed to the Forsaken Fortress where he tried to rescue his sister." The Outset island boards were replaced by a 'fortress' as Potova and Ivan stood behind a model ship they pushed across the stage. Potova then left the stage as Ivan brandished his sword and advanced on the 'monster bird' who was now back. "But the bird caught him and was told by its master to throw him into the sea." The 'bird' grabbed Ivan as Jun-Roberto, dressed in a black robe with a red wig, pointed across the stage, causing the 'bird' to throw Ivan over the edge. This was followed by a few muffled curses from the boy who was now on the ground. "When he woke up he met the talking boat who had rescued him."

Jin came onto the platform dressed in red with a pair of horns on his head as he dragged another model boat along behind him, while Ivan came on from the other side. He then said in a monotone voice.

"I am the King of Red Lions and I will show you how to defeat the Evil King."

Ivan got into the 'boat' and was then pulled off the stage by a struggling Jin as the girl narrating continued.

"The King of Red Lions then took him to get the three pearls of the goddesses, and after defeating some of the Evil King's monsters, the three Great Guardians gave them to him." Ivan chased some 'monsters' across the stage as 'Lord Valoo', 'Lord Jabun' and the 'Great Deku Tree' came onto the platform. He then went to each of them and was handed the 'pearls', which looked suspiciously like red, green and blue pom-poms. "He then used the pearls to make the Tower of the Gods rise out of the sea." The 'Tower' was lifted up behind the platform as Ivan put the 'pearls' in the hands of three 'statues' who promptly ran off the stage. "He then passed the Trial of the Gods and was given the Master Sword." Three children dressed as Gohdan and his hands came on stage and were 'defeated' by Ivan who then grabbed a wooden sword painted blue and white from behind the platform. "The hero then went back to the Forsaken Fortress to fight the Evil King." The 'fortress' was put back up as Ivan and Jun-Roberto came on from either side. "As his sister was taken to safety by the pirates he attacked the Evil King, but the sword didn't work because it had lost it's power." At the back of the stage, Potova led the other blond girl away as Jun-Roberto did an evil laugh as Ivan lay on the stage in front of him. "The pirate leader came back to help him and they found out that she was the princess after they were rescued by Lord Valoo and some of the Rito."

'Lord Valoo' threw red confetti at Jun-Roberto making him run away as two 'Rito' dragged Ivan and Potova off the stage. This was followed by Jin, once again dragging the 'boat', as well as Potova and Ivan coming back onto the stage. After that was the appearance of the Triforce of Wisdom and the transformation of the pirate leader into the princess. Once again Jin spoke in a monotone.

"Princess you must stay here while we restore the power to the Master Sword. Hero, I will lead you to the temples where the sages can be found."

Potova, who was now in a pink dress, waved goodbye as once again Jin struggled to pull Ivan off the stage in the 'boat'. The little girl at the corner of the stage began to fidget.

"The King of Red Lions took the Hero to the temples but they found out that the sages were dead and they needed to find new ones. The hero found the new sages on Dragon Roost Island and the Forest Haven."

Joanna, dressed up as a Rito girl, and Jan, dressed up as a Korok, came onto the stage and said in unison.

"We will help you return the power to the master sword."

The little girl who was narrating now looked rather bored.

"The Hero took them to the temples and defeated the monsters in them. The sages then restored the Master Sword's power." After this was acted out, Ivan waved the Master Sword, which now had a couple of white tassels tied to the blade, around triumphantly. "He then gathered the shards of the Triforce of Courage so that he could return to Hyrule beneath the sea to defeat the Evil King who had fled there." The 'shards' were put together and Ivan now waved a rather battered looking yellow triangle. "When the hero went to fight him, the Evil King took the Triforces from the hero and the princess and tried to use them, but the King of Red Lions beat him to it and wished for the old kingdom to be washed away. The Hero and the princess then fought the Evil King and defeated him." As the 'Triforce' was pushed off the back of the platform, children on either side threw buckets of water on the 'fight', which ended with Ivan hitting Jun-Roberto on the head, 'killing' him. "The Hero and the princess were then transported back to the surface of the sea as the King of Red Lions chose to stay behind. Two years had passed when the princess and the hero travelled around the Great Sea and gathered the leaders of the settlements together on Windfall island." Ivan and Potova 'sailed' across the stage on the ship from the first scene. Then a dozen children all dressed in different outfits came onto the stage. All of them as well as Ivan and Potova spoke together.

"We have come to Windfall to make an agreement. All the islands are now one kingdom, the new Kingdom of Hyrule. Long may we live in peace."

The little girl, with a look of great relief on her face said.

"And that was the Founding of our new kingdom... The end."

The crowd began to applaud and cheer as all the children came onto the platform and bowed. Seeing the expression on Link's face, his father gave him a nudge.

"They say if a school does a play about you, you'll be remembered for a _very_ long time."

Link sighed and said sarcastically.

"Why does that not reassure me?"

He patted his son on the back.

"Come on, the music and dancing will start soon. Oh and speaking of music, it's by and time _you_ looked after this for a while." He pulled a small brown and green ocarina out of his pocket. "This is the ocarina that the Sage of the Forest Temple gave to the Hero of Time just before he left the forest for the first time. It's become a family tradition for us to take turns looking after it. Since I've had it for nearly fifteen years it's your turn and in a few years time it will be Aryll's." He pointed across the dance square. "By the way, there's a certain young lady over there who I think would like to dance with you."

Link looked over to see Mila glancing shyly in his direction. With no further prompting he went over and asked her to dance, not noticing that his grandmother, his sister, as well as Lyle and Mara were all watching him with knowing smiles on their faces. Aryll tilted her head and giggled.

"Aww. Don't they make the cutest couple?"

Mara used her hand to try and hide her smile as Vallandra made comments about how long would it be before he asked her. As the music progressed into even faster and livelier tunes, Mara, Lyle and Aryll and Eidan all made their way onto the dance square. Laughing and smiling as each spun their partner around and around. Until finally, as dusk fell, everyone began to make there way up to the market square where the fruits of the labours of the towns many cooks lay spread out across the tables waiting to be enjoyed as the sun set and the torchlight cast a warm glow over the joyful scene.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Marren looked annoyed as the crowd around the stage applauded and cheered. All the way though they had only been able to catch occasional glimpses of what was going on and he had been becoming increasingly frustrated. Irreilla, seeing this, did what she could to calm him down.

"Marren, from what we _could_ see it was just the local school children putting on a play. I doubt we would have learned anything important from it even _if _we could understand what they were saying."

He stayed very still for a few moments before he sighed.

"You're probably right, Irreilla. Do you think we should keep following that man when he leaves the island?"

Irreilla gave him a bemused look.

"It's not like we have much else to go on. He's our best chance so far." She patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, we should get some sleep. If things carry on as they have over there we won't miss anything important."

And so as the light faded, they dove down to once again hide beneath the Red Lion.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The merchant paddled his raft north-east away from Great Fish Isle, some instinct telling him that island was the last place he wanted to be right now. As time passed and he got further away, his instinct was confirmed as with the resounding roar of falling rock, followed by innumerable splashes, the remainder of the island disappeared beneath the waves without a trace as he looked on in astonished silence.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The small peak jutted above the water, fire spewing from its top as Kargorocks circled the pillar of raging flame... flame that even now was beginning to falter. The two small outer islands had already disappeared beneath the water, leaving the birds no place to land and rest. All too soon this would force them to leave, and yet the fading of the fire kept them close in the hope that when it stopped completely they could use the main island instead... But it was not to be. Almost as if it had been the fire holding it up, the moment the eruption stopped the island seemed to collapse in on itself as the Kargorocks fled from the roar of falling stone as though they feared the sea would swallow them as it had swallowed the island...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Wow, this chapter is nearly 5200 words long. Anyway I hope you liked it. I'll update soon.**


	22. Spotting Shadows

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 22.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 22: Spotting Shadows.

As the waves sped past and the sun shone down, a string of muttered curses drifted on the wind as the figure on the deck of the ship wrestled with a slingshot only to hit himself instead of the target. Throughout this minor drama, Navi slept in a small basket hanging near the bottom of the mast. Her soft snores and murmurs of contentment providing a counterpoint to Link's cursing of the awkward weapon.

As sucked on his bruised finger, Link scowled at the slingshot he'd bought while on Windfall. Determined to learn how to use it, he had collected a basket of pebbles before leaving the island and had set up a padded target on the Red Lion, giving him something to practice on without having the pebbles ricochet off it and into the water. With a determined look on his face he picked up another pebble and loaded it into the weapon's sling, drawing it back as he took aim. He let go, this time making sure to keep his fingers clear of the snap of the elastic cords. The stone struck the outer ring of the target leaving a small dent in the padding, Link sighing as he realised that even after two days of near constant practice he had improved only slightly.

Setting the slingshot down, he sat on the bench next to the tiller and tilted his face up to enjoy the sunshine. While nearby in the water, two people were getting a certain amount of amusement out of his lack of success with the weapon.

The two of them had abandoned their perch on the rear of the ship in favour of swimming for a while, and now with Irreilla's small magics hiding them still from detection by the fairy, they followed in complete confidence that they couldn't be spotted. And so with a muffled giggle as she swam along beneath the surface, Irreilla regarded the man on the boat.

"I can't believe that someone who's that good with a bow can't use a slingshot. Back home most children were masters with slingshots by the time they were ten, and that then provided the foundation for learning to use a bow."

Marren smiled wryly in agreement.

"Yeah, but then things are probably different for the people now. From what we saw, the only people who learn to use weapons are the ones who travel regularly like the sailors and merchants. The rest don't." He sighed. "I wonder how long they've lived without being threatened, that they could reach a point where only the minority need to learn how to fight. Down in Hyrule, with bandit raids so common, there wasn't a person anywhere who didn't know how to fight with at least one weapon."

They both remained silent for a moment as homesickness overcame them. Though they had tried to come to terms with it, the knowledge that Hyrule was gone still haunted them and drove them to try and find out what had happened. As they continued to muse over their situation, Link himself mulled over what he had been sensing the last few days.

Ever since he had left Eyestone after his last visit he had felt like he was being followed and when asked, Navi had said she couldn't sense anything out in the water. All she could sense was water. This had continued to plague him as he just couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. In his frustration he stood up and took another shot at the target with the slingshot, this time missing it all together as the stone struck the ship's rail and fell into the water where the ripples from the impact were quickly obliterated by the waves. Seeing them disappear, he suddenly realised that off to his left he had been seeing a subtle disturbance that hadn't been affected by the waves, and that it had been there all morning. Without turning he picked up another stone and took aim at the target, all the while studying the disturbance out of the corner of his eye. Now knowing it was there, he couldn't believe he had missed it. To his sea sharpened eyes the slight alteration to the normal flow of the waves was blatantly obvious. As he released the stone and readied another, Link reached out with magic to find only water, and yet while he could sense the water, he could also sense the disturbance. For a third time he reached down for a stone and lifted it as if to load it into the slingshot, but this time he suddenly spun and flung the stone with unerring precision to cut into the water and strike the source of the disturbance while dropping the anchor and turning the ship to dump the vessel's momentum and bring the Red Lion to a halt.

As she saw the man turn and throw something as his left hand pulled a leaver and swung the ship's tiller to full port, Irreilla cried out a warning as the projectile shot into the water and hit Marren on the head with enough force to stun him. Now stopped dead in the water, she held his arm to steady him as he tried to orientate himself. While above them on the now stopped ship, Link had his bow drawn and aimed right at them, as Navi spluttered from her new position on the deck having been thrown out of her basket by the sudden manoeuvre.

"Show yourselves or I'll fire!"

Irreilla heard the threat in his voice, though she couldn't understand what he was saying. Seeing the drawn bow, she clung to Marren and cried out.

"What do we do? We can't understand him and he won't be able to understand us!"

The moment she called out, loud enough that her voice had carried above the water, Link froze as he recognised the language and took in what he had heard said. He lowered his bow and slackened off the tension on the string before raising his voice and speaking, this time in hyllian.

"I said show yourselves, and I can understand you perfectly since I'm fluent in hyllian. Now, come out. I don't take kindly to being followed and I want to know why you've been doing so."

Irreilla gasped in shock as she heard him. In all the time that they'd been watching the people of the islands they had never heard any speak hyllian, and so they had assumed that none knew it. Wary, as Marren rubbed his bruised head, she replied.

"How do I know I can trust you? You just hit my friend and threatened us with your bow."

Link sighed.

"If you had been sensing someone following you for weeks but been unable to find the source, you'd probably do the same thing."

Irreilla, surprised by the statement that he had been aware of being followed all this time, couldn't argue. He was right; under the same circumstances she would have done the same as he had.

"Alright, we'll come up."

With a single strong kick, she propelled herself and Marren upwards so that their heads broke the surface. The moment they did, the man lowered his bow completely and gasped in surprise.

"Zoras?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Deep in the depths of the Earth Temple, Medli opened eyes glazed from exhaustion. The worst of the shifting was over, the land was now beginning to move in a new way, a way which wouldn't stress it. There was however, one structure which was threatened by the new movement. Realising it had to be protected, Medli reached out and with a flick of her power, triggered the return of the items to their guardians. High above and far off in the distance, the statues on three small islands flared in response to the command. The pearls they held glowed brilliantly and shot off like shooting stars back to each of their respective guardians... while the Tower of the Gods sank back into the depths to wait out the coming turmoil.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As Tetra's crew transported Aryll and Vallandra back to Outset, a strange sense of foreboding overcame the girl. Now in the depths of night, she tossed and turned in her hammock as the images of a dream ran through her mind.

She was standing, looking out at the ocean which to her looked the same and yet looked different. Though she couldn't turn to look, behind her she sensed her family and people she knew, but she also sensed people she knew she had never known and which had never known her... and they were afraid...

With a gasp she flailed her arms around and fell out of her hammock with a thump. For a few moments she lay on the floor and looked up at the ceiling as the terrible sense of being lost, with nothing to show you where you were, echoed within her and made a single tear of sympathy at their loss trickle down her face.

"They're coming..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The young Rito woman flew as fast as her wings would carry her as she raced down to land inside the royal compound on Windfall. She had flown non stop from Dragon Roost to get here as fast as possible and now the moment she landed she ran to the building's entrance as she called out to the guards that she had an urgent message for the queen. Within a minute she found herself in Queen Zyara's presence, her lungs still labouring from her efforts on the way here.

"My Lady, I bring urgent news from the Rito! Great Fish Isle and Fire Mountain have vanished, and the Tower of the Gods is gone! It sank into the sea just before I reached the island!"

Tetra leapt to her feet as Eidan strode across from the far side of the room where he had been stood by the fireplace. The two of them raced to the compound's pier and looked out to the south-east to find the horizon devoid of the distant tower's profile. The town, having seen the top of the tower sink out of sight, was in turmoil. As she stood there with a look of great worry on her face, Tetra stared at where the tower used to be.

"What in the name of the Goddesses is going on?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Things are heating up, and I think a hint of the Writing Bug may be coming back because I can't wait to do the next two chapters... I think I'll be updating tomorrow.**


	23. Death of the Past

**Alaia Skyhawk: Chapter 23! The day after I wrote 22! I'm in a good mood right now. The only problem is I have to cram for a computer networking exam, so I'm not sure if I'll find the time to put anything else up until after the 6th December. Anyway, here's the disclaimer.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 23: Death of the Past.

It took all of Link's control not to gape in surprise as he looked at the two people in the water below him. The only Zora he had ever seen had been Laruto, and she was dead at the time, only her spirit remaining. As he stood there trying to make sense of why two Zoras would suddenly show up out of nowhere, Irreilla looked up at him with an equal amount or surprise.

"You know what we are? But we haven't seen _any_ other Zoras in this ocean, nor any trace of those that were sent to take refuge. There weren't many... but still..."

At that statement Link snapped out of his confusion, remembering that Medli had a Zoran ancestor so it may be that over the years those Zoras sent to the surface may have left the sea to live on land. Rather than waste time debating this, Link turned his attention back to the two in the water.

"I can't tell you for sure what happened to them, though I think I can make an educated guess. I have to ask though, you speak as though you were there when the kingdom was sealed... Were you?"

As Irreilla hesitated, Marren who had now recovered enough to speak, explained the situation as Link listened intently as he leaned on the ship's rail.

"We weren't among those sent to the mountain tops and so we decided to wait out the time of Hyrule's slumber in a lake near to a village that at that point was abandoned. A few weeks ago we woke up to find ourselves on the surface of the ocean. Irreilla swam down to Hyrule to see if everything was alright but when she got there..." He bit back sob. "Everything was gone, the village, everything. All that was there was barren sea floor. Shortly after that we were hit by some kind of wave and it was then that we began trying to find out what had happened. We came across a village on an island and seeing it was well established and that the people were speaking a different language we realised we may have been sealed away for longer than we thought. After that we began following merchant ships and then after a couple of weeks you came to the village. When we saw the fairy that was with you." he pointed to Navi, who had gotten up off the deck and landed on the rail next to Link, "we realised you were different and decided to follow you instead in the hope of learning anything that might help us."

Link looked at the two of them with a sinking feeling in his gut. After a few moments he sighed. He would tell them everything that had happened, no matter how much it might hurt them... they needed to know.

"You'd better come on board. I can tell you what you want to know, but you may not like it."

Link reached over the rail and offered his hand to help them up. Once they were both on deck he realised their skin might dry out in the sun so he disappeared below deck and came up with two blankets which he then wet before handing them to the two Zoras. Accepting the blanket offered to her, Irreilla wrapped it around herself and looked at the blond haired man as he raised the anchor and set the ship back on it's prior course.

"What's your name?"

He glanced at her as he tied the dead man's line to the tiller, before sitting himself on the bench.

"It's Link." He pointed the fairy as she settled herself back in her basket. "And that's Navi. She's a friend of one of my family's ancestors and she recently returned to us. What's yours?"

She pulled the blanket a little tighter around herself.

"Mine's Irreilla, and this is Marren."

Link nodded in acknowledgement as he shifted a little on the bench.

"Well I guess I should start explaining." He sighed in resignation. "Well to start with I can tell you that it's been around a thousand years since Hyrule was sealed away." The two gasped in shock as Link continued. "As for what happened to Hyrule... it was washed away by the power of the Triforce."

Marren stared at him, his face showing a mix of shock and a deep sense of betrayal. He began to shake as he tried to take in what Link had just said. At this point, Irreilla was speechless, tears streaming from her deep black eyes. Marren looked at Link with eyes that demanded an explanation.

"How did it happen? Why did it happen?"

Link closed his eyes for a moment, before looking at Marren with a gaze that betrayed some of his own sense of loss.

"Five years ago, girls began to vanish from their home islands, snatched away by a giant bird. My sister was one of them and with the help of the Pirates I travelled to the Forsaken Fortress, an island in the far north-western corner of the Great Sea. When I reached where she was being held, the bird caught me and flew me up to the top of the fortress... and that's when I saw him for the first time." He looked at them gravely. "Ganondorf..." The two Zoras looked at him in horror as he continued. "He commanded the bird to throw me out to sea where I would have drowned if I wasn't rescued. I woke up a few days later in the back of a talking boat, on the shore of Windfall Island. That's the island where the festival was held a few days ago."

Irreilla looked at him as hope filled her eyes.

"The King? You met the King?"

Link nodded.

"Though I didn't learn his true identity until a few months later. He offered to guide me so that I could rescue my sister. That path led me to gather the Pearls of the Goddesses and face the trial of the Tower of the Gods. Once I passed it, the gate down to Hyrule opened and allowed me to get the Master Sword. A short while later I returned to the fortress to Ganondorf as the pirates took my sister and the other kidnapped girls to safety. I learned then that the Master Sword had lost it's power, and not only that, but by removing it I had broken the seal that until then had kept Ganondorf from using his powers. It was then that it was discovered that the leader of the Pirates was actually the last surviving descendant of the royal family and we took her down to the sword chamber in Hyrule Castle to hide her and the Triforce of Wisdom. After that I had to find out what had happened to the sages who gave the sword its power. On arriving at, and managing to enter, each of the entrances to the temples of Earth and Wind, I learned that Ganondorf had killed them. Their spirits told me to seek out the new sages and after awakening them and reclaiming the temples, we were able to give the sword its power back." Link sighed. "I then spent a number of weeks tracking down the charts that showed where the shards of the Triforce of Courage were so that I could reassemble it to get back down to Hyrule. When I eventually got back to the castle I found that Ganondorf had taken the princess and after tracking him to his tower down there and fighting my way up to him, I confronted him on its summit. However he caught me by surprise and stunned me so that he could take the Triforce of Courage from me. He reassembled the Triforce but before he could make his wish... the King beat him to it. The King realised that Ganondorf had held on for so long solely to gain Hyrule and so he wished for Hyrule to be washed away. Thereby taking away the only thing that gave Ganondorf the will to continue."

If the two of them were horrified before, they were far beyond that now. Marren seemed to almost choke on his words as he spoke.

"The King... the King did it? He had Hyrule washed away? ..._Why?!_"

Link got up and walked over to the distressed man, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"He did it because he felt it was the only way. This is the wish he made. '_Gods of the Triforce, hear that which I desire. Hope, I desire hope. Give these children a future. Wash away this ancient land of Hyrule. Let a ray of hope shine on the future of the world_...' He then said, '_and may our destiny finally be fulfilled._' He did it to give the world a future... the only one he could under the circumstances. In the end after, Tetra, the princess that is, and I defeated Ganondorf, he decided to stay with Hyrule. The last I saw of his spirit was as Tetra and I were lifted back to the surface while he disappeared into the shadows of the falling water."

Link bit his lip as tears of his own tricked down his face. Irreilla, seeing this, reached out and put a hand on his arm.

"Losing him hurt you a lot, just as losing Hyrule has hurt us. But you've moved on and looked to the future as he would have wanted, and I think Marren and I need to do the same." She sighed. "But where do we go now? There aren't any more of us in the sea, we would have heard the calls echoing though the water by now. We have nowhere to go."

Link thought it over for a moment.

"I could take you to Outset, my home island. Lord Jabun lives in the sea cave around the back from the village."

Marren stood up, his eyes finally beginning to show some hope for the future.

"You can take us to Lord Jabun?"

Link smiled and held a hand over his heart.

"I give you my word, as the Hero of Winds, to see you safely into Lord Jabun's care."

Marren blinked.

"You're a Hero?"

Link chuckled, as did Irreilla who patted Marren on the arm.

"Of course he is. It's obvious given the fact that he wielded the Master Sword and held the Triforce of Courage."

Marren gave her a bemused look.

"I guess I'm still a little overwhelmed by everything."

Navi flew over and landed on Link's shoulder, where she sat and regarded them with a tilt of her head.

"You'll have plenty of time to think things over, it'll be over a week before we reach Outset. Why don't you go swim for a while to help clear your head..."

"Link!"

They all looked up to see a Rito flying towards them from the north. Irreilla's eyes widened in recognition.

"Hey, isn't that that bird guy we saw stop on that island a few days after we woke up?"

Link looked at her sidelong.

"That's Quill and he's a Rito. They live under the protection of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo."

Quill was going so fast that he actually skidded at little as he landed. Before Link could ask what was wrong, he blurted out his message.

"Great Fish Isle and Fire Mountain have both vanished, they crumbled into the sea. We found the Merchant who lived on Great Fish and he was able to tell us what happened and that it started without any warning... it just fell apart and sank into the sea."

Link stood frozen, and after seeing Marren and Irreilla's confusion asked Quill to repeat the message in Hyllian. He shook his head in concern.

"First the Wave, then the tremors, the events at the Forest Haven, Marren and Irreilla suddenly waking up a thousand years after being sealed away, and now this. What the hell are the gods up to?"

Quill looked a little confused but didn't ask. He then blinked when he saw the symbol on the necklace Irreilla was wearing as it just showed above the folds of the blanket.

"That's the symbol of the Rito Tribe. Why are you wearing that?"

Irreilla frowned.

"This is the symbol of the Zora Tribe. Are you saying that your Tribe uses the same symbol?"

Link cleared his throat.

"Remember when I said I had a theory about what happened to the Zoras who were among those sent to take refuge?" The two of them nodded as Quill continued to look confused. "I know for a fact that a Rito girl called Medli has a Zoran ancestor. She's the Sage of the Earth Temple I mentioned and the previous sage was Zora called Laruto. Laruto's spirit told me that being the sage is bound to her bloodline and that the next sage was a descendant of hers. If Medli has a Zoran ancestor then it's possible that the Zoras may have become the Rito over the generations, though given that the Rito have some distinctly hyllian features I'd guess they merged with another small group, which would account for the change happening in so short a time. The power of Lord Valoo would have speeded things up as well since as for as I can figure the Rito reached the point they're at now about three hundred years after the kingdom was sealed."

The Rito and the Zoras regarded each other for several moments, considering the possibility. Quill shrugged.

"Whatever happened, it won't matter to the Rito Tribe. As for you two, you're welcome on our island anytime you might want to visit. You may be the only two Zoras on the Great Sea, but you're not alone. You can count on us all to help you any way we can."

Irreilla smiled in thanks before turning to Marren.

"Let's do as Navi suggested and swim while thinking things over. We finally know what happened, so we need to think about what we can do in the future."

She smiled at Link before she dropped the blanket and dove over the side to cut cleanly into the water, Marren following close behind.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

It was nearly ten days later that the Red Lion pulled up at the dock on Outset. He knew it would still be several days before the Sea Spirit reached Outset so instead of heading up to his house, he led Marren and Irreilla to his boat shed. Without saying a word as they entered the dim light within the building, Link walked over to the canvas covered form at the back and uncovered it, revealing the red and white boat beneath. Irreilla brought a hand up to her mouth in distress as she slowly walked over and placed her other hand on the side of the now empty vessel. As Marren came over as well, Link explained what he planned to them.

"I'm currently looking for a good place to build a shrine. I'll be putting this in it to honour the King's memory and also the memory of what was lost when Hyrule was washed away."

Marren regarded the small boat with a sad smile.

"I look forward to seeing it." He sighed. "So what now?"

Link recovered the boat before guiding them back outside.

"I'd like to introduce you to Orca. He's about the closest thing to a leader the village has and I know he'll look out for you. Most of the people in the village know at least _some_ hyllian so if you keep things simple they'll be able to understand you. So feel free to get to know the people here, after all you'll be living on this island so that makes you members of the village even if you live in the sea cave around the back."

Link led them along the beach and up onto the first terrace and along the path to Orca and Sturgeon's house. Without saying a word he rapped smartly on the door, Orca being of the firm belief that if you're going to knock... do it properly. After a few moments, as Marren and Irreilla shuffled nervously on the path at the bottom of the steps, Orca opened the door. Link told him their names in hyllian and after only the slightest pause of surprise Orca opened the door wide to allow them to enter. Link went in as the two Zoras hesitated, Orca soon ended that as he took the hint from Link and spoke in slightly hesitant but passable hyllian.

"Don't just stand there, come in, I don't bite." Put at ease by his gruff yet easy going manner, they crossed the threshold into the single room beyond. Orca gestured for the two of them to make themselves comfortable on the stools by the table before he turned to Link. "I assume you're going to explain, so get to it."

With a wry smile, Link told Orca everything that had happened after he had spotted the two Zoras following him, along with the fact that he would be taking them to Lord Jabun. The ex-swordsman mulled over what he had been told before turning to the two Zoras.

"Well you're both welcome on this island. No one here will turn you away, especially since both Link and I will vouch for you. I can think of a number of ways you can contribute to life on the island and make your own way. For now though I think Link should take you to see Jabun immediately. We can discuss the rest later."

Link shrugged before getting up and heading for the door.

"I have no problem with that. Marren, Irreilla, let's go."

Less than an hour later found them on the Red Lion anchored just outside the sea cave. The entrance was too small for the ship to enter and so all three of them would have to swim. Something that wasn't a problem for Link anymore since his arms were a lot stronger from all the flying he'd been doing. As he swam towards the entrance he was seized by the two Zoras who in a bout of humour had decided to tow him into the cave. Once inside the eerily lit chamber with its stalactites hanging from the roof, Link called out to the guardian asking his presence. Moment's later the giant blue fish with his green eyes and golden, lantern hung tendril on his head came to the surface and peered at the two Zoras with curiosity.

"Little ones, why are you here? The only true Zoras left are those that were sealed away with Hyrule."

Marren and Irreilla swam forward and looked up at him. Irreilla explained everything that had happened to them. Jabun looked thoughtful as he considered this in light of recent events.

"The gods are certainly are making things more and more complicated. With the Tower of the Gods now beneath the sea once more, who knows what will happen next."

Link's eyes widened.

"The Tower of the Gods has sunk?"

Jabun nodded.

"Yes, the Sage of the Earth Temple triggered the return of the pearls to the Guardians." He lowered his lantern so that they could see the blue pearl that was once again nestled within it. "Something must be threatening the structure of the Tower, for she would never have done as she has if there weren't." Seeing the question in Link's eyes, Lord Jabun told him. "It happened ten days ago."

Link thought this over.

"I was just two days from Eyestone then, Quill had just reached me with the message about Great Fish Isle and Fire Mountain disappearing into the sea. The Tower can't be seen from there and he would have had his back to it anyway, so he wouldn't have known about it to tell me. I can bet he'll show up any day now with the news." Link stayed there, treading water as he thought. He sighed. "I'd better get going. We still don't know what's going on so I'll continue my postal work until then. If I learn anything new I'll make sure to let you know as soon as I can."

As Link swam out of the cave, Jabun and the two Zoras watched him go.

"Gods speed, Hero of Winds."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The distant light of the Windfall Lighthouse was but a faint glitter on the horizon to the south, barely visible on this overcast night as Makar sat on the cliff above the entrance to the Temple of Wind. Ignoring the gloom, he descended from his perch and entered the temple. Inside the golden glow that suffused the very air within, lit up the determined look on his face. He entered the main shaft of the temple with it's immense fan, and leapt out into the rising current of air. Using his power he controlled the moving air and lowered himself slowly to the bottom of the shaft where with a flick of his power he stopped the fan so that he could drop between the blades to access the door beneath. He walked through the final series of rooms, stilling the traps so that he could pass without interference. With a solemn step he entered the temple's sacred chamber, here to see if this time the spirits had anything to tell him.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three sisters stood and looked down at the image of the world before them. Din pointed at something that only they could see.

"It is almost time, my sisters. Ready yourselves, it is almost time to release the first seal."

And so they watched... and waited...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hmm, I think I can spare a couple of hours to write the next chapter. (Looks at pile of revision) Yeah... I can spare a couple of hours. (Rubs hands together in anticipation) I can't wait to do the next one. I'll update soon.**


	24. Shallow Water

**Alaia Skyhawk: Um... before you come after me with pitchforks and torches, I'd just like to say that I was busier than I thought I'd be so I didn't update last week. As for why I didn't update during this week... three words, 'Wii', 'Twilight' and 'Princess'. I don't think I need explain any further... I'm up to dungeon 8 after 4 days of spending all my free time madly swinging a remote at a TV screen. (Shrugs) What can I say, Zelda rocks.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 24.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 24: Shallow Water.

As the voices of the Wind Spirits whispered around him, Makar felt like beating his head off the nearest wall. He had spent the better part of two weeks inside the temple's sacred chamber trying to glean _any_ useful information from them... and had gotten nothing. With a sigh of resignation, Makar sat down on the stone platform in the centre of the sand floored chamber and shut off the sound of the spirits. No longer surrounded by the constant noise he became aware of a sound that didn't fit with his knowledge of the Temple. Makar got up, his face showing his puzzlement as he began to try and find the source of the incongruous noise. He proceeded to explore the temple, passing through room after room in his pursuit of it. As his explorations took him higher up the temples levels the sound grew steadily louder, though not by much. He also noticed that it was loudest on the side of the temple closest to the entrance, but after several hours of exhaustive searching he found nothing within the temple that should not be there or was not as it should be. He frowned.

"Are the spirits trying to annoy me further? Because if they are it's working..."

He sighed in exasperation and decided he'd had enough. He headed for the entrance and ascended the shaft to the cave in which the temple's upper entrance resided. When he reached the top he realised that the noise was now even louder. He groaned.

"I spent hours searching for a noise that wasn't even _in_ the temple." He shook his head and sighed. "Why gods? Why do you make things so complicated?"

He walked into the tunnel leading to the outside, travelling along it until he emerged into the light of dawn as the sound reverberated around him...the sound of rock grinding against rock. As he saw the sight before him, he froze in shock.

"What the...?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link stared passively at the looming bulk of the Forest Haven ahead of the ship, the stresses of the past few weeks finally beginning to get to him as he tried to make sense of all that had happened. He continued to do nothing but steer the ship towards the island while Navi kept trying to engage him in a staring contest, though at this point in time Link would have won hands down. From the island ahead he could hear the sound of the local seagulls as they called out with agitation, a fact that he wasn't aware of, being so deep in thought... But that was quick to change.

The ship lurched violently as the keel hit something beneath the water with a loud grating noise. Link leapt to his feet, now fully alert and aware of the seagulls' calls. He looked around and realised that there was something seriously wrong with the sea currents around the island. Taking note of the waves he began to navigate the now strangely treacherous water only for the ship to lurch once again as it glanced off something solid. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Link looked over the side. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw beneath the water... land... There beneath the waves was land, and even as he sailed on, the water continued to get shallower.

Link struggled to keep the Red Lion in one of the few channels of water deep enough for it to pass as earthen banks began to show above the water. In a desperate attempt not to run aground, Link sailed past the Forest Haven, on a bearing that took him north-east of the Island's northern islet where the Gallery lay. When he passed the islet by nearly three sea leagues the water suddenly returned to a flow approximating that which was normal for the area. Realising that the ship was now safe, Link dropped the anchor and looked back at the area he had just sailed through with a mixture of shock and wonder. Where once there was open sea, the waters receded from the land that was rising around the Forest Haven... and reached north for as far as he could see...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Lyle ran down the length of the barge as occasional screams echoed around him from a handful of hysterical women scattered among the mass of people moving around the floating village. Out in the sea around Saiweve new peaks of land were rising, some so close that the barges ground across the flanks of the hills. This had been going on for nearly nine hours as they desperately tried to find open water where they wouldn't run aground. All of the Saiweve's masts had been rigged with as many sails as they could carry, but still it wasn't enough. Bells rang from the bow of each barge in one of the emergency sequences that all inhabitants of the settlement were taught... It was the signal to row. Every able bodied person headed to the first sub-deck of their assigned barge where they set themselves in pairs next on the benches that were secured next to the now opened hatches on either side of the barges. Once sat, each pair lifted a large flap in the floor in front of them and began pulling an oar from its hidden shaft within the ship's structure. Soon each barge had the tips of oars just poking out into the open air between them. It was then that the first barge separated from one end of the village.

Wooden bridges were disconnected from the main mass of ships and hoisted aboard the departing vessel, after which the anchor tethers were untied allowing the ship to veer away from the rest. As soon as it was clear a team of spotters began plotting out the ship's path while a large drum began to sound out a steady rhythm. At this signal a forest of oars protruded upwards at an angle from the sides of the barge before dipping down to touch the water. As the ship rowed away, two more separated one from each end of the village and soon they too pulled ahead of the remainder. In the minutes that followed the last of them separated and formed a long convoy of ships being propelled by both sails and oars as they headed east in the opposite direction to the majority of the new peaks.

Up on deck those not physically able to row cowered in the central street of each barge, huddling together... crying out in fear each time the barge lurched as it touched the bottom of the shallow water they now sailed through. Suddenly a great crash followed by screaming sounded ahead. On the sub deck of the third barge, Lyle heard the sound of splintering wood as the spotters called out for them to turn hard to port. Being on the starboard side, Lyle and his partner along with all others on that side hauled on their oars with all their strength, fighting to turn the barge. For a few endless moments the entire ship moaned as it slowly began to turn... moan that turned into a roar as they failed to avoid the stricken ship ahead of them...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll looked out as the sea began to settle once more into its normal ebb and flow, Marren and Irreilla standing behind her along with her grandmother and the people of the village and the crew of the Sea Spirit. The sea looked the same now, that is the waves and the water, but to either side of the island new land had risen and joined with the old, making it different. The barren soil of the new land was stark against the lush green of what was Outset's original area, the only green on those areas was that within the now stranded farming frames that had been moored on the north-east and north-western sides of the island. As she looked out at what was before her, she remembered the dream she had had on board the Sea Spirit.

"The sea will be the same and yet different. My family and friends are with me, but so are those that had never known me. They were lost... as _they_ will be lost... Those that are coming..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Valoo trumpeted from his perch atop the great peak of Dragon Roost as the Rito hovered around him staring at the sight far to the south-west of the island. Where once Fire Mountain had been, the ocean seethed around the shore of the new land as steam rose in a vast cloud from the crater in the centre of the vast mountain that rose to dominate the skyline, framed by open sea to the west and the south-east. As Valoo's calls echoed on the winds they watched in silence as the world as they had known it changed forever...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Eidan and Tetra, along with the people of Windfall, stood mute as they looked down at the new outline of the island. Off to the south the once barren horizon now had a distant profile of new shores just visible from Windfall. As she regarded the result of the unexpected event, Tetra spoke to the man beside her.

"...Now we know what the Goddesses were up to, they've given us new land." She frowned as she eyed the new mountain south of the visible tip of Dragon Roost on the horizon to the east. "But why? Why have they interfered on such a scale?"

Eidan looked at the cloud of steam above the new mountain with a grave expression on his face.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out sometime. Sooner or later."

Tetra looked at the bewildered faces of her people.

"I hope so..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link flew over the stark brown earth below, heading for the area of lush growth that was the Forest Haven. As he neared the fringe of the forest he found the Kokiri clustered on the western side looking at the Forbidden Forest which was a looming blot on the new landscape of rolling hills. As he landed beside them a resounding series of cracks split the air as the mass of twisted vines shattered and collapsed into a void in the land beneath it. As they stood beneath the eves of the forest's edge the ground trembled as slowly land rose to fill the breach... bringing a structure with it...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Grins) so what do you think? Did I catch you off guard with the 'new land joining the old'? I've answered **_**some**_** questions... but have added a few more. Yes I know I'm evil. Anyway, I'll update when I can. I've finally got the clearance to start my new job, so that's going to drastically reduce the time I have free to write and such, which means that 1 chapter a week instead of 2 is going to be far more likely from now on. **

**On another completely unrelated note, did you know that Nintendo literally flipped the graphics from the original GC version of Twilight Princess when they ported it over for the Wii? In the GC version (which I've seen since my granddad has it) Link uses his left hand to wield his sword (as he usually does) and the Triforce symbol is on that hand (which is clearly visible on one of the trailers so I'm not spoiling anything). In the Wii version he uses his right hand (obviously since you wave the remote with your right hand) and the symbol is on it too. Now you're probably thinking that they only changed Link, well they didn't. EVERYTHING is flipped along a north-to-south line. That is the sun in the Wii version sets in the east... Weird (I watched it and that was what made me realise everything had been flipped), Midna's left eye is covered instead of her right (It puzzled me when I first met her in game, since I'd seen her on loads of footage), and when you see cut scenes that were shown in the trailers everything is the other way around. I can tell you, running around the start village in the GC version when you've played the Wii one is really weird. I helped my granddad start his game off and I felt like I'd gone cross eyed since I'm used to it being the other way. I also out of curiosity searched for online walkthroughs and all the ones I checked out are based on the Wii version, so if you're a GC version player the maps and the directions are the opposite (i.e., left = right) which must suck for those that are really stuck and end up being sent on a pointless run-around by directions that are wrong for them. All I can say is that Nintendo must have been lazy to resort to doing it that way. Sure it would have been more work to change just Link, but there are certain minor details (I'm not saying anything because it would spoil) that seem weird because of the total flip. All in all, I think it would have been better if they'd changed just him, but then again that's my opinion.**

**Anyway, that's enough blabbing from me. See ya, I'll try to update soon.**


	25. First of the Six

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 25. Sorry for the long wait, my new job has really screwed up my writing times.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 25: First of the Six.

The three goddesses looked down at the transformed land below. Their faces showing only a small amount of the tension that gripped them as they thought about the backlash that would eventually occur from their interference. In a solemn gesture, Din raised her hand and held it over the image releasing a flare of light, her sisters copied her. They spoke as one.

"The first seal has been released."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Emptiness echoed within the great hall with its vaulted ceiling, light piercing the ring of windows that sat below the chamber's dome. Four torches flared into life, each with a flame a different colour from the rest. The flickering light they cast within the room highlighted the edges of vine-traced stone railings and refracted sharply off the polished faucets of the large emerald green crystal that dominated the centre of the room between them. Whispers echoed within the chamber as golden light shot down from the peak of the dome overhead and raced over the edges of the crystal, the glow revealing the face of the sleeping girl within. As the light faded the crystal crumbled to dust and drifted away, leaving on the floor the child-like figure that had been inside.

A ray of light was cast across the floor where she lay, the motes of dust it revealed dancing on the newly stirred air. The figure shifted slightly beneath the torchlight and slowly lifted her head.

Eyes of deepest blue, framed by hair the colour of spring leaves, opened as the girl pulled herself to her feet. Voices called her from all around, the temple spirits telling her to use her power. In a trance she heeded their command, placing her hands together as if to pray before spreading them wide to the ceiling above. She faded from sight as a dazzling green orb took her place in the centre of the chamber. Its light radiating through the ancient temple, home of the Forest Spirits, whose voices now rang out in a song of new life that reached out across the land and out to the farthest reaches of the Great Sea...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link stood with the Kokiri as they looked across the barren plain to the stone structure with its arched dome. Silence reigned as the fourteen Forest Children present all inched forward to stand on the brink of what was once the Forest Haven's western shore. As they waited the feeling in the air was one of tense anticipation, so tense that Link couldn't help but speak out of curiosity.

"Why are...?"

He was stopped by the piercing glare of fourteen sets of eyes.

"SHHHHHHH!"

Link took a step back as they all resumed their observation of the building in complete silence. As he stepped forward to the edge to join them, he too began to feel what they had been sensing. Power was building, and to him it felt a little bit like when Medli and Makar had called on their powers to restore the Master Sword. His eyes widened as he then realised then just what the structure must be. It was the Forest Temple, lifted to the surface from the seabed below, and the power he could sense must be Saria the temple's sage.

Faced with this revelation, Link began to wonder what she could be doing. Then as he looked at the barren land before him, he realised.

_She's the Forest Sage, the guardian of all of the world's plant life. If she's calling on her power then she must be..._

Green light blasted outwards from the temple disappearing over the horizon in seconds. In its wake tendrils of green began to show all over the barren soil. As Link stood there watching in surprise, the Kokiri took to the air using their deku leaves. As they flew each of them seemingly caught some of the light that still glowed from the temple, after which they began to land here and there with the light globes they now carried. Wherever they touched the land, trees sprouted in large clusters forming bands and groves of new forest. Link continued to watch until the sun set, as the Children of the Forest spread the hallowed eves of their home out across the now green land of the new peninsula... in a rebirth of the Great Forest that had once dominated the old Kingdom of Hyrule's eastern border.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Lyle slowly opened his eyes only to close them in a squint against the bright light that shone across his face. All around him he could hear moans of pain, and cries of distress against a counterpoint of groaning support beams and creaking ropes. He tried to get up and stumbled against the warped wall of the ship's hull beside him, which was so twisted that there were gaps between the planks and it was through these that the light was coming. The source of the damage became clear as he righted himself. The ship was listing to one side and was completely still, meaning that it had been grounded. Lyle grabbed one of the many rope loops that were on the ceiling, put there to be used by people to steady themselves as they moved around during storms. Using the hand holds he hauled himself up the slope of the deck to the central isle before proceeding along it, checking all those he came to and making a tally of the injuries. When he reached the stairwell that led to the upper deck he paused to tell the healer who was coming down the list of the injured he had compiled, after which he took a deep breath and went up the stairs. He came out at the end of the barge's main street, close to the bow. Bracing himself against the walls of the houses on the lower side he made his way to the end of the street and stopped with a gasp when he saw what lay before him.

The ship was jammed against the two barges that it had crashed into, and all around there were rolling hills covered with the pale green of newly grown plants. As he looked slightly to his right at the mid-morning sun he saw the sea less than a sea league from where they had run aground. As he stared at the spectacle the sound of running footsteps rapidly approached from behind him.

"Uncle Lyle, are you alright?!"

He turned to see Mara charging up to him with a concerned expression on her face. As she slammed into him and held tight he stroked his hand against her hair to reassure her.

"I'm fine, Mara." He looked again at the sun. It had been late afternoon when the village had separated meaning he had been unconscious for more than half a day. He looked down at his niece as she continued to cling to him. "Mara, have you heard anything from the other barges? Did any make it to the sea?"

She kept her head down, shaking it after a moment's hesitation.

"No... They all crashed into each other, one after another. Reports have come from the rest of the village, all of the barges have suffered major damage to the main support beams..."

She stopped as she felt him tense, closing his eyes. In small ships a main support could be replaced quite easily, but for a village barge a damaged main support meant that it was beyond repair, never to sail again... For the entire village to be damaged in that way... He sighed and held Mara at arm's length and gave her a slight smile.

"Well then we'll just have to salvage what we can." He put an arm around her and pointed to the sea visible in the distance. "It's not that far to the shore, we can take wood and rope from the barges and make sleds we can use to drag what we can salvage to the coast. There we can rebuild Saiweve." He smiled. "We're not that far from where our usual waters were so it should work out fine, and I'm sure it won't be long before the Rito fliers find us and let the Queen know what has happened."

Mara looked up at him and nodded before turning her gaze back to the distant waves, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Time moves and people change, like a river's flow, it never ends... We'll be fine as long as we work together."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The green orb faded and the girl reappeared to touch down lightly on the floor of the chamber. She looked around with a puzzled expression on her face, an expression that turned to one of shock as she reached for her fellow sages... and couldn't find them. She reached further, seeking for the doorway that lay deep in the temple's sacred chamber far below, only to find it gone. A patter of footsteps came from the gallery in front of her, which led to the temple's entrance. She looked up to see a cluster of green clad children coming down the stairs towards her. As she watched, one of them tentatively walked over while the rest waited at the foot of the stairs.

"Saria?"

Her mind in turmoil at being cut off from the others, Saria stepped back from her fellow Kokiri before transforming back into an orb of light and vanishing through one of the windows below the dome, their confused calls echoing behind her. She dashed madly across the sky as her mind searched for _any_ trace of the other sages and of the Sacred Realm which was now closed to her. Finding nothing, she stopped her hectic flight and reappeared as a girl, floating high above the land below. She looked down and saw all the new growth her power had wrought and as she turned to look further into the distance she saw the glitter of sun on water. Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth, from land to sea.

"If the sea is still here then Hyrule should still be sealed." She looked around. "But how _can_ it be? There's too much land. There are only supposed to be a scattering of islands, not all of this..."

She stared at the land below, at a loss as to what to do and what had happened. As the sun reached it's zenith above her, she finally caught the faintest trace of _some_ power far off to the south-west. Desperate to find out if it was one of the others she once again became and orb of light and streaked across the sky. By the time the sun had travelled mid-way in it's journey back down to the horizon she found herself standing on an island. There on its only beach, on the south side, she stood looking up at the irregular peak. At the foot of the peak there was a cave, and it was from this that she sensed the faint trace of power, but far from being one of the others it was from something completely unfamiliar to her... And yet for some reason, it was. She entered the cave and saw the open top of a stone-lined shaft leading into the core of the island. At the bottom of the shaft she found herself in a plain chamber... with an ornate stone door. Crossing a simple wooden bridge, which appeared to be a recent addition, she reached out to open it.

Suddenly the faint flicker of power became like a roaring inferno deep below her. With a cry of surprise it struck her sending her flying back up the shaft at a terrible speed. As she tried to resist it she found in a final revelation, before she hit the cave roof, that it was far stronger than her...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Deep in the complex of rooms below, the young Earth Sage stirred at the intrusion. Left disoriented by her extreme exhaustion, she registered only that in her temple her power was greater than the intruder's. With a single flick of her mind she struck the intruder and violently ejected them from the temple before erecting a powerful barrier over the top of the shaft... Not aware of who and what she had just attacked...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well there it is and it **_**only**_** took me A WEEK AND A HALF TO WRITE!! (Sweatdrops) Oh well, from now on I'll probably update once a week at the weekend. I just don't have the free time during the week any more.**


	26. Faced with the Unknown

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the 3 week wait, once again my suddenly disorganised life gets in the way of my writing.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 26: Faced with the Unknown.

Link glanced over his shoulder, looking at the green coastline as he sailed along it. It unnerved him, that coastline. All his life he'd know only small stretches of it surrounded by open sea, and now this area of land, which went from horizon to horizon, fenced him in on one side, cutting him off from the ocean to the west... making him feel almost trapped by it. He shook his head and focused on the sea before him, he had just passed Bomb Island when his eyes widened with terrible realisation. Bomb Island was where he would turn north-west to Saiweve, he looked in that direction, but all he could see was land.

"Saiweve! Lyle and the others, they were over there!"

He turned the Red Lion and moved into follow the coast as close as he dared with not knowing where any hidden reefs or sandbars may be. He _had_ to try and find the village. As he made his way up the coast, he unconsciously leaned forward as if to urge the ship to go faster. Seeing this, Navi flew in front of his face to force him to sit back on the tiller bench properly.

"Link, if the village did run aground then I'm sure the villagers would be able to take care of themselves. You're not going to do them any good if you rush and end up running aground yourself. Move the ship a little further out, you'll be able to see farther that way. Once you know something, only then move in and do it slowly." As he looked at her, his expression of desperation fading, she put a hand on his cheek. "You remind me a lot of your ancestor. There were times when he acted the same way you were just now, and he cared about the people and world around him just as you do." She sat on Link's shoulder. "Now I'll tell you what I told him. 'Don't spend so much time thinking about others that you forget about yourself. You won't do them any good if you hurt yourself trying to help them, causing you to fail. Time can be cruel, even when you can travel though it freely. So never forget that you only live once... Don't waste it.'"

Link sighed and gently brushed a finger against the side of her tiny face.

"Thank you, Navi."

A comfortable silence descended on the Red Lion as Link steered it to a safer distance from the land before letting it plough through the waves in a course that followed the contours of the coast. As night descended, for the first time in his life Link had to stop for the night and anchor the ship. Not knowing the new land, he couldn't plot a safe course and let the ship sail while he slept. The delay chafed at him, but he heeded Navi's words and went to bed. His journey would wait until morning.

That night he tossed and turned as vague dreams disturbed his sleep. The image of his family crest, the Triforce symbol set in a ring, danced in his mind's eye, surmounted by another whose appearance eluded him. He saw a great dark chamber in which there was a platform with six coloured symbols, a platform which looked almost as if it were made of flowing water. One of the symbols, the green one, shimmered and he found himself looking into the deep blue eyes of a Kokiri girl, eyes filled with the wisdom of ages. A voice echoed in his mind as if from far away.

_You're leaving, aren't you... I knew this day would come, because you are different from me and my friends..._

He saw an image of the girl, handing something to the blond haired boy who stood on a wooden bridge in front of her.

_Take it..._

He awoke with a start to hear a strange sound. He traced it to his bag and found that it was coming from the ocarina that his father had entrusted to him. Link flipped it over and read the writing carved into the back.

"Saria..."

He dressed himself and made his way onto the deck. Seeing that it was almost dawn he raised the anchor and once again set off along the coast. It was barely midmorning when after rounding a headland and following the land into what looked like a vast natural harbour, he saw movement on the shore. As he came closer he saw a rudimentary pier had been built out into the water. Beyond it he could see various houses and other buildings being raised. All by people he recognised from his postal run... It was the people of Saiweve...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The cave was dark, lit only by the dim glow of the barrier. Water dripped somewhere, a counterpoint to the harsh breathing of the girl lying on the rock floor. She stirred, a small moan of pain escaping her lips. After several minutes she opened her eyes and looked blankly at the ceiling for a while. Her gaze alighted on the fracture marks made by her sudden impact with the surface, before moving to the barrier that now barred entrance to the island's core. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered what had happened. She whispered to herself.

"Saria, you fool..." She sighed painfully. "I should have known better than to rush into the unknown so carelessly..."

Too hurt to move, the Forest Sage closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the dripping water as she waited for her strength to return.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Teams of people moved among the grounded farming frames, un-tethering them from each other before one-by-one carefully sliding boards underneath so that they could be carried out to the water without the weight of the wet sand within tearing the cloth and falling to the ground with the precious crop. Tetra supervised this from the hill in the middle of what had once been the only open area of grass on the island of Windfall. After a moment she returned her attention to the report she had just received from those who had been sent out to see how much land had risen around the island. By that report she now estimated that Windfall now had five times as much land as it had had previously. She filed the note alongside the number of others that the Rito postal fliers had brought to her. Outset was now around four times larger, Dragon Roost was around three times larger, and Eyestone now lay on the coast of a landmass that extended so far west that it had obliterated the Islet of Steel. They also reported that due to turbulence caused by the sudden appearance of a large amount of land in the centre of the Great Sea, they were unable to fly over it yet and so could not estimate with any accuracy how much area it covered. The only real detail of the middle of that area they had been able to pick up at a distance was that the area where the Tower of the Gods had been was still open water and that they had so far found two channels that led to that now inland area of sea. Tetra once again looked out at the land visible on the southern horizon.

"There's so much we don't know..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The morning sun angled down across the vast stretch of land and seemed to twist as it passed though the huge orb of energy that looked as though it were imbedded into the land. Even as the light was twisted by the orb, the orb rippled as though the light disturbed it until finally it began to dissolve and dissipate. As if faded, the strangely grey land within became suffused with colour... as time started once again.

A figure stirred and lifted their head from the rim of the fountain where it had rested. Eyes opened and looked around as yet more figures began to move from their places scattered along the dusty street. Doors and windows opened as people looked out. One figure, a young woman, had chosen to wait out her time at the edge of the now awakening town. As she looked out though the town gate, instead of fields of corn she saw only untilled land covered by grass and trees... and a road that ended as though it had been cut off with a knife. At her cry of surprise, others came over and saw what she had seen. All too soon the entire population of the settlement gathered upon its walls and at its gates to stare in shock at the untouched land beyond their home.

Elsewhere villagers looked out at this sight from the vantage point of their village windmill where it stood high above a well, while high on the mountain above the rock-like inhabitants spoke to each other with uncertainty and confusion.

Deep in a cavern filled with waterfalls and deep pools of crystal clear water, the fish-like denizens rushed to look out beyond the entrance to their realm and saw the great lake visible in the distance... a lake that had once been hundreds of miles from their home.

Far to the north-west, on a coastline south-east of where the remains of the Forsaken Fortress had now been swallowed by sand, clusters of people with fiery red hair gazed out at the crystal blue waters that dominated the horizon to the east, beginning at the place where a once great gorge had cut the land on its way to a distant lake.

They all looked out at this new world, faced with the unknown...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: So I wonder how many of you picked up on the 'orb' reference. Since it was mentioned several chapters ago when Medli was called to her temple. I hope you liked this, happy reading.**


	27. Second of the Six

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here I am again, and here's the next chapter.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 27: Second of the Six.

On this unknown coastline, moored to the rough built pier, the Red Lion rocked back and forth as the waves stirred beneath it. Meanwhile its owner raced along the newly built street of houses and workshops in search of a family friend. Link came to a halt at the end of the street and looked around. Here and there villagers carried bundles of wood or other materials, still more were moving precious supplies of food into newly build storehouses. Even as he watched a strange grating sound reached his ears. He turned and saw a crude sled, piled with materials and supplies, being dragged towards the settlement from the west. As he looked beyond it he could just make out the tops of the now wrecked village barges.

Link turned his attention back to the sled, this time however he spotted a familiar man hauling on one of the side tow ropes.

"Lyle!"

As the sled came to a halt at the edge of the new village, Lyle looked up to see Link running over with a concerned look on his face. As he stepped away from the sled, Lyle gave Link a small reassuring smile.

"Hoy there, Link. I can see you want to know if everyone's alright. To put it simply, the people are fine but the barges were trashed. Every one of them had major damage to the main support beams. Even if we could have got them back to the sea they'd never have sailed again, so we're starting anew on land this time."

At the news of the damage done to the barges, Link came to a stop a few yards from Lyle, his expression thoughtful. He looked up at the ex-sailor.

"Well I guess it could have been worse. At least the villagers now have ample land nearby to farm rather than trailing back and forth between Eastern Fairy and Eastern Triangle Islands to farm root vegetables and gather weed trees."

Lyle grinned and put an arm around Link's shoulder, guiding him back down the street of wooden buildings with its dirt road.

"That we do... It'll take some time to get used to it, but we'll be fine." He laughed. "Mara and the other village women have been having the time of their lives gathering berries and other things from the land around the village. Also some of the young boys have been trying their hand at fishing." He pointed out the group of youngsters that could be seen out in the shallow water a short way along the beach from the village. "One of the boys even tried making some fish traps based on one he'd seen drawn in an old book passed down through his family. Those traps alone have been bringing in a steady supply of fish for the village. Enough in fact that we've started drying some of it."

Lyle pointed out the small array of drying racks, each laden with hanging fish. As Link looked around at the small fields that had been marked out and planted beyond the houses, a sudden though occurred to him.

"Did you manage to save any of the village's farming frames?"

Lyle grimaced.

"Unfortunately, no. We'll have to trade for food from other islands if we're to have enough to make it through the winter. There's no way we'll get a decent crop, even if we salvage the frames we can and plant them out immediately, the crop will be scanty at best since the main part of the sea crop growing season is over. The crop that was in them was almost mature, but not enough to be harvested. Losing it was a disaster." He sighed in resignation." To be truthful we'll be lucky to get much at all from them this year, that's why we've planted every root crop seed we have." He gestured to the fields. "It's risky, since we've no seed left in reserve, but if we get a good crop it will leave us with plenty more new seed to plant next year."

Link patted him on the shoulder.

"When I get to each of the islands I'll let them know to gather any extra sea forage they can from the shorelines, and also if they can each put aside some of their sea crops." Lyle looked at him in surprise, Link grinned. "Do you seriously think that, after the entire village being run aground, the people of the other islands will make you pay for food from them? I know for a fact that as soon as I get back to Outset, Orca with have the entire village squeezing as many more root crops in as they can so we can give more of our sea crop to you. After all, we still have half a year to grow them."

Link paused for a moment and glanced around as if looking for something, after which he made a beeline for the Red Lion as Lyle looked on in confusion.

"You're leaving so soon?"

Link glanced over his shoulder and gave Lyle a wry grin.

"No, I'm getting the spare post box I had stored on my ship in case I came across a damaged one." He pointed down the street. "From what I can see, you don't have one anymore. I do have a job to do you know."

Lyle blinked for several moments before busting out into laughter.

"Aye you'd be right about that. Getting parcels from friends and loved ones will cheer the people of the village up no end."

And with that they made their way to the pier where the Red Lion rocked gently in the sea breeze.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Black eyebrows pulled together in a tense frown, above grey eyes that were shadowed from both lack of sleep, and deep rooted despair and confusion. Outside the window, with its stone sill and wrought iron shutters, the voices of the townsfolk sounded in hushed tones of uncertainty. Those grey eyes looked down at the report on the desk in front of him, a report that mocked him in its futility. Nothing... the scouts had found nothing but fields of grass, scrub, and areas of forest. There was no sign of the once great road that had brought people from all over the land to trade at huge market held in the town's centre. There was also no sign of the abandoned villages that had scattered the land along the road... It was almost as if any place where there were no people during the Sealing had been wiped clean of any trace of habitation. He put his head into his hands, to make matters worse the grain crop had also been lost to the strange disappearance. Even now the farmers that had lived out along the road were desperately tilling and planting out new fields using seed requisitioned from the towns dwindling storehouses. From the weather they had guessed it was early to mid summer. Leaving them barely enough time to grow enough food to last them through the winter when it came.

The door opened and guard dressed in silver armour with red markings looked in.

"Mayor Darthan, Scout Gerril to see you sir."

Mayor Darthan sat up in his high backed chair and straightened his deep blue robe of office. The silver trim and jet black buttons catching the dim light that came though the window. After a moment to compose himself, he nodded.

"Send him in."

Scout Gerril was a wiry man of about twenty, with blond hair and a moustache that seemed to bristle. His face was careworn for his age, yet his eyes still held the bright spark of youth. But now those eyes held a slight look of wild panic, at something that had clearly shocked the usually steadfast man. Seeing this look, Mayor Darthan rose from his seat.

"What is it, Gerril? What did you see?"

The scout took a deep breath.

"As you know sir, instead of trying to find the road and villages to the south, I elected to go north." He shook his head in a kind of desperate denial. "Sir, I used to wander that area when I was a boy. It was scrubland scattered with rocky crags and boulders... but now..."

Mayor Darthan began to look even more concerned.

"Tell me, Gerril."

"Sir the land I knew is no longer there. When I travelled north I had noticed that the lay of the land was completely different from what I had known, but that was just the start of it. When I passed over the ridgeline that can be seen just five miles from here, a mile beyond that there was nothing but water."

Darthan's eye widened in shock.

"Water?"

Gerril took a shuddering breath.

"Yes, sir... It was the ocean..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three goddesses looked down at the panicked people. Their hearts torn by this result of their interference. Nayru reached forward, her hand glowing with light.

"They need the sages to reassure them..."

A stern voice echoed around them.

"No..." They turned to look at their mother, who still watched them. "I know you feel that you must reassure them, but releasing all the sages at once would throw the residual energy out of balance. You could end up causing a disaster that would only panic them more. Release them one by one... that is the only way."

Kyayna looked on as they bowed they heads in submission. They would not disobey her. In a single gesture, all three reached out over the image and released a second single bolt of light.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The bass crackle of shifting lava rumbled though air heated beyond the tolerance of any but the people of the mountain and those they gifted with the special tunics that protected the wearer from the intense heat. Lit by the red light of the molten pool below, the vast cavern was empty but for the stone entrance ledge and the large circular platform that lay out in the middle of the lava. On this platform a large ruby red crystal stood, the red glow in the room barely revealing the large form within. Golden light descended from the ceiling in a sudden strike. Under its influence the crystal crumbled, its occupant now kneeling on the floor.

Dark blue eyes set into massive head opened and the sage stood up with a look of confusion on his normally stern face. He was nearly half as tall again than an average Hylian, and being one of the Rock Folk, the Gorons, he was the typical heavy set, rock-like form that was common of his people. His short yet strong legs and his long powerful arms, gave him the appearance of immovability. He was not one who could be beaten back by force alone.

As he stood there, he reached out with his power and found nothing. He could not sense his fellow sages, nor could he access the door to the sacred realm that had vanished from this sacred chamber. After a moment's thought he transformed into an orb of red light and left the temple to enter Goron City, the primary home of his people. As he appeared at the heart of the lowest level, the Gorons around him broke out into a flurry of questions, all seeking some kind of reassurance. As he took in the implications of the questions, he silenced them with a wave of his hand.

"I do not know what has happened, for I, like you, have been locked in slumber." They cried out in renewed despair, and he silenced them once more. "But I _will_ do everything in my power to find out... For now I must seek out my fellow sages, for it may take all of us to truly understand what has occurred."

Before they could utter another word he vanished in a trail of light that arched out of the city entrance and far out from the mountain's side. From there he regarded the changes wrought on the land he had known. When he saw the lush greenery he reached out and sensed the trace of Saria's power within it. In that moment he knew that she too was awake... but where? For hours he flew over this strange new world, which seemed to be a mix of the old land of Hyrule and the realm of ocean that would have been created by the Sealing. Hours that dragged on into an eternity of emptiness in which he could not sense his fellow sages. Finally, as the sun set over the twin-peaked island he could see on the horizon to the west, he sensed her on the island that stretched beneath him and ended with an irregular peak that was as distinctive in its own way as the one where sea met sky.

He descended to the beach on the southern shore, beneath the island's irregular peak. There he saw the cave... and entered. With a harsh cry as he spotted her, he charged over and gently lifted his fellow sage from the floor of the cavern. As he looked at the barrier that was also in the room, he spoke in a voice filled with deep anger.

"What did this to you?!"

Saria placed a hand on the side of his face and smiled weakly.

"When I woke up, after I used my power to clothe the land with plant life, I realised I couldn't sense any of you and I panicked. As I searched for you I sensed a trace of power here and came to investigate. I was so upset by being alone that I didn't use my common sense and I entered." She indicated the shaft beneath the barrier. "When I reached the bottom I found a door, but before I could open it the power down there rose up and struck me, sending me back up the shaft where I hit the roof above. When I woke up I was too weak to move and the shaft had been sealed." She sighed. "I think whatever was down there saw me as a threat and that's why it attacked. When I was struck, I couldn't sense any malice. It was simply an instinctive response to my intrusion." She looked at the barrier. "Whatever is down there, it wants to be left alone. I got a definite sense of deep exhaustion, so deep that whatever is down there must be barely awake... Darunia, don't let your fiery nature blind you to reason. What happened is due to my own foolishness, and not the fault of what is down there."

Darunia, the Sage of the Fire Temple, took a deep breath. The tension in him melting away. He looked down at the child-like sage in his arms as she gave him an impish grin. He began to carry her out of the cave, out onto the white sand of the boulder dotted beach.

"I think I should take you back to your temple, you'll recover faster there. You need to rest... I will look for the others and try to find out what has happened."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Her blond hair shifted gently in the wind as it blew past her where she stood on the island's lookout platform. To the east, and going round to the north, a new headland created a large sheltered harbour around the village dock. The back of the island now extended well to the south, doubling the islands length north to south at its narrowest point. To the east she could see that Headstone Isle had also gotten much larger. She knew from the Rito postal flier that it now extended all the way to where Two Eye Reef had been. From the reports they had gathered, all of the Reefs had been replaced by new land, no longer nests for the evil of the seas.

The light was fading, the sun now below the horizon. It was only because of this fading light that she saw the glint of red and green light leaving Headstone Isle. As she watched it climb into the air the symbol around her neck resonated. Confused, she lifted it up to take a closer look. It blazed, blinding her for a moment. In that moment she saw the room that was described in her ancestor's journals, which she had been reading. The Chamber of Sages, and in the vision two of the symbols on the platform glowed with an inner light... Green and Red. As the vision faded, she knew now what she had seen above Headstone.

"The Sages of the Sacred Realm are awakening from their long slumber. It won't be long before they begin to look for answers. Looks like it's time to send a letter to dad."

With that, Aryll descended from the lookout and headed home to write down what she had just discovered.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. I'll update in a week.**


	28. Third of the Six

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the wait, here's chapter 28.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 28: Third of the Six.

The hand on the tiller was tense, the grip seemingly more for self reassurance than to ensure a steady course north-west, as its owner glanced to his left at the colossal mountain he sailed past. Link shuddered and turned his eyes away from the sight, he had thought the continuous coastline south of here had been bad, but this huge mountain was far worse considering he was accustomed to sailing in full sunlight. For now, as the day reached mid afternoon, the shadow of the mountain crept further and further over his ship as the sun began to sink behind it... and he didn't like it in the slightest. It cast the sea beneath it into a strange twilight that set his nerves on edge and made him yearn for the places on the Great Sea where land was only ever a pin prick on the horizon. Link shook himself as he realised he was unconsciously making his course veer away from the mountain and off his north-west bound path, with a firm hand he turned the ship to face the spire of Dragon Roost once more, a peak that looked like a spindle in comparison to the one that loomed over him.

Time seem to slow to a crawl as the Red Lion slowly approached the edge of the shadow where it would finally be beyond its reach and surrounded by open sea once more. The sun was just about to set when the outline of the new land to the east was finally replaced by that of far reaching water, an outline broken only by the distant mark of Pawprint Island upon it. When the Red Lion finally reached Dragon Roost the stars were a glittering veil across the sky. Their light, along with that of the moon, gilded the shore of the island, as well as the now sleeping form on the ship's deck in pale silver.

The next morning as the first light of the sun sent Dragon Roost's shadow across the water like a pointing finger, Link was woken by something insistently prodding his cheek. Irritated, he batted a hand to push it away, resulting in Navi in being sent over the side of the ship with an indignant shriek. As she rose, dripping, back above the rail, a magic born ball of water followed her. A ball that she promptly dumped on Link's head.

After a few minutes of coughing, spluttering and cursing, Link stalked down to his cabin and emerged in a dry set of clothes carrying a bread roll and a small chunk of sweet dough, which he gave to Navi instead of bread as a sort of apology for knocking her into the water. With the little fairly nibbling contentedly on the treat while sitting on his shoulder, Link climbed the walkways up and around to the entrance to the Aerie. Once inside he was confronted by a level of activity that was far in excess of the usual. He was spotted almost immediately by one of mail sorters who was carrying a large sack of letters, and was told in no uncertain terms to go see the Chieftain at once. Taking the hint that it was urgent, Link ran up the spiral walkway until he reached the meeting chamber several levels above. His arrival was promptly noticed by the pair of golden eyes that fixed themselves on him.

The Chieftain turned to face him, clearly suffering from lack of sleep. Before Link could ask if he was alright, the Chieftain stopped him with a raised hand.

"I'm fine, Link, just a little tired. It's been a busy week and only now are we finally getting the reports organised." He gestured to the array of papers on the table beside him. He inclined his head as he regarded Link. "We have a new job for you, one which under the circumstances is more important than your postal duties..."

He handed Link a roll of the heavy parchment used for sea charts, watching as the young man's eyes widened in shock after he unrolled it and saw what was on it.

"...Is this?"

The Chieftain nodded, his eyes grave.

"Yes, that is a map of all the new land that has risen, as you can see it covers a considerable area. As it is, the only area we haven't been able to map is the coastline of is what we're now calling the Inner Sea, an area of water in the middle of the large landmass where the Tower of the Gods stood. The air currents over the new land are too unpredictable for the Rito to fly over it yet, and the Mermen who have been instrumental in the mapping of what we have, refuse to enter the Inner Sea unless they have someone with them who can protect them."

Link's eyes lit with understanding as he looked up from the map.

"You want me to go with them and map the Inner Sea?"

The Chieftain walked over and began pointing out features on the map.

"Yes, now as you can see, there are three channels leading into the Inner Sea. One in the north-west, one in the south-west, and one in the east. We've called them the North, South, and East Passages. Only their entrances are marked on here as we could only see their general course from the air. The Mermen who are going with you will scout the area and return to you to draw what they've mapped. We need you to copy each section they draw onto both this chart, for yourself, and also onto one of the waxed slates we'll be giving you. One of the Mermen will take the slate to one of our fliers who will be waiting at the North Passage entrance, they will then return the slate here so we can update our charts as soon as possible. Obviously, since they'll be waiting at the North Passage entrance, that is the area you'll be mapping first."

Link rolled the chart up and tapped it against his hand.

"Well then, I'll stock up my supplies and set sail immediately." He inclined his head politely. "Chieftain..."

And with that Link left the chamber, as the Chieftain watched him go.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Blue eyes were framed by strands of blond hair that had slipped free of their restraints, shadowed with exhaustion, eyelids sagged closed over them as the figure's head dipped towards the surface of the paper strewn table. With a jerk, Tetra lifted her head up and rubbed her hand over her eyes before looking once more at the map on the table in front of her. From the other side of the table, Eidan looked at her with concern.

"Queen Zyara, you aren't going to get any real work done if you try to do it while exhausted. You'll only make mistakes and have to do it over again. Go get some sleep, I'll finish off with these reports and get some rest as well. We can start again in the morning."

Tetra winced. She had learned that when Eidan used her formal name in that particular quiet tone, what he said was actually an order, not a request. She stood up, wavering slightly as she tried to keep her heavy eyes open.

"I'll go, but only because I know you'll clout me over the head and pack me off to bed if I don't." Eidan smiled wryly. "Be warned, I'll be asking the footman if you went to bed when you say you will. If I find out you didn't, _you'll_ be the one getting hit."

Eidan chuckled.

"I don't doubt it... Go to bed Tetra, the sooner you go the sooner I'll finish."

With no further comments, Tetra made her way to the side door of the room that led to her private chambers and closed it behind her. Now alone, Eidan set back to work sorting through the pile of envelopes next to him. Putting them into trays that were marked with symbols matching those that had been stamped on them, either for general reports, urgent reports or map updates. He was about halfway through the pile when he came across an envelope that didn't have a mark on it, instead it had his name and place of residence written on it in the neat and now familiar handwriting of his daughter. With briskness that was almost eager, he opened the letter and began to read it. By the time he'd finished his expression was puzzled and not a little concerned. He read the letter again, not quite sure what to make of the information it contained...

_Dad, I've had another vision. I was outside at the Lookout when saw two glints of light leaving Headstone Isle, one red and one green. The Family Crest you gave me to open the Hidden Library resonated and that was when I had the vision. In it I saw the Chamber of Sages and two of the symbols on the centre platform were glowing, the ones for Forest and Fire, green and red. I know it was the Chamber from the descriptions in our ancestor's journals, so after seeing those lights I knew that two of the Sages of the Sacred Realm are awake and that was who I saw leaving the island. It also that means the others are probably waking up as well. I thought about sending Link a letter, but for some reason I know he knows at least one of them is awake already. I think he may have known about the first before me, but he may not know about the second. If I see anything else I'll write to you straight away. Look after yourself Dad. _

_Aryll_

Eidan was startled from his thoughts by the sound of the footman coming over. He looked up to see the concerned expression on the young man's face.

"Sir, are you alright? You've been staring at that letter for quite a while and I was beginning to wonder if there was any trouble."

Eidan patted the man's arm and stood up, pocketing the letter as he did so.

"I'm fine, I guess I just blanked out for a moment. I'll be going to bed now, I'll finish the sorting in the morning."

The footman nodded and opened the door for him. Eidan went through it and entered the first door he came to in the corridor outside. He removed his boots and lay down on his bed before removing the letter from his pocket. After looking at it for a moment, he placed it on the bedside table before closing his eyes and drifting off into much needed slumber.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The drip of water echoed through the chamber, a steady pulse that marked the passage of time in the otherwise silent room. The chamber was square in shape and decorated with stone tiles in white and various shades of blue. In its centre was a pool of water the same shape as the room and in that water there were four square platforms that were separated from the edges of the pool and from each other by channels of equal width. Above the open water in the centre of the pool where the channels merged hovered a large blue crystal over which golden light swept from above. As it crumbled the figure within was dropped into the water with a small splash. A few moments later a Zora woman rose to the surface and looked around with violet coloured eyes.

She rose from the water and drifted over to the pool's edge where she set her feet down with the smallest whisper of sound. Her face composed, she exited the chamber and headed for the Temple's entrance. In minutes she was swimming through the crystal clear waters of a vast lake, only for her to stop suddenly as calls echoed through the water around her. She frowned.

"Why are there so many near here? Zora's Domain is over a hundred miles from this lake."

She swam towards the source of the calls to find a large congregation of Zoras, many of which were on the shore. The moment she climbed out of the water one of them spotted her.

"Lady Ruto!"

She fixed her eyes on them, there were close to a hundred of them in a place where there should have been no more than twenty.

"Why have you all travelled here? The passage of so many Zora's along the river at once could have damaged it. How could you all be so reckless as to risk hundreds of miles of river to such a journey?"

The Zoras looked around at each other silently, until finally one of them spoke.

"My Lady, Zora's Domain is now only a few miles from here, within that peak." He pointed. "Those who are here have gathered over a few days, having come through a river channel much larger than the one the old Zora River had."

Ruto stood there, her mouth open in surprise. She blinked once before closing her eyes, her expression becoming focused. She reached out with her power and followed the river with it, it was as the young man had said. She then moved her power to seek out any other water that might be out there. In an instant she gasped in shock and stumbled as she took in what her senses had just told her. The Zoras rushed to support her, holding her up as she regained her bearings.

"The sea... it's still there. Hyrule hasn't been reawakened, something else has happened. The land has been moved, from the new location of Zora's Domain that is clear... but the sea..." She closed her eyes. "I must call my fellow sages together, and since there's so much water out there I'm the best one to do it."

She eased herself from their support and dove back into the lake. There she used the water as a path to carry her power, out to the sea, out across the ocean in all directions, a myriad spread of tendrils that would lead the others to her.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Gerril?"

Mayor Darthan looked sidelong at the scout as the two of them stood looking at the crude pier that had been built out into the water north of the town. Beside it floated the moderate sized boat that had been brought from one of the town warehouses. It had been imported by one of the merchants in the Lake Hylia area, to be assembled on site, but had instead been stranded in the town when Ganondorf had attacked and the kingdom sealed. Not having the time nor people with the expertise to build a boat from scratch, the Mayor had had it requisitioned on Scout Gerril's suggestion.

Gerril looked at the mayor steadily.

"Sir, we need to know how far the ocean extends to the east and west, the land along the coast is broken terrain and in some places it will take conventional scouts weeks to cover a distance that would take a couple of days at most on open ground. A boat sailing along the coast is our fastest option."

Mayor Darthan sighed and turned his gaze back to the boat.

"At least tell me you have some experienced sailors to sail that thing?"

Gerril nodded.

"There are three sir, all have sailed on Lake Hylia and also have experience of sailing during storms. I of course will be accompanying them with the intention of mapping as much of the shoreline as I can during the explorations."

Reassured by this, Darthan turned to head back to his horse that was waiting patiently nearby. In a practiced motion he mounted and turned his horse to face the scout.

"Be careful, Gerril, the lives of those men are your responsibility. Make sure you all make it back, I'll expect a full report when you do."

Gerril saluted the Mayor.

"I will, Sir."

With a final nod, Darthan rode south back to the town while Gerril and the three sailors clambered into the boat and set sail.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Makar gazed at the land below, as it swept past in a green blur due to the speed he was travelling at. To see so much land had been beyond his imaginings and during his journey he had spotted a couple of his fellow Kokiri carrying orbs of magic that caused forest to sprout wherever they touched the ground. Since spotting them he had noted a number of bands of forest and occasional clusters of trees dotting the rolling hills and grassland that had risen out of the sea. He thought back to those orbs, they could only be the work of the Sage of the Forest Temple, which meant that Saria was on the surface and awake. As he continued to fly, a bluish-green orb streaking though the air, he saw the expanse of land narrow until it formed a peninsula that reached out from the main mass to where the Forest Haven was. This peninsula, he was pleased to note, was entirely covered by forest. He smiled. The land hadn't had a true forest like this for nearly a thousand years and now the Great Deku Tree's domain had been restored.

Eventually he saw the great crown of the Deku Tree's branches rising above the carpet of trees, but off to his right he also spotted a large clearing. He veered towards it and found himself looking at the ancient stonework of the Forest Temple. He was about to leave when he heard the sound of voices on the wisps of air drifting out of the temple, carrying the sounds within to his magical senses. Curious, he landed on the platform at the top of the broken steps and cautiously entered. Being a Kokiri, he go no response from the Temple defences, and so he proceeded through a small corridor and into the large chamber beyond. The moment he entered... he stopped.

Two figures turned their heads to look in his direction. It was Saria, Sage of the Forest Temple, and Darunia, Sage of the Fire Temple. Knowing no other response to their scrutiny, Makar inclined his head respectfully before descending the stair way to stand in front of them where they were in the centre of the chamber. Once there, Darunia fixed him with a stern look.

"Who are you and what are you doing in here?"

From the look on her face, Saria was about to reprimand him, that is until she looked at Makar's face again. Her eyes widened in surprise, a look of hope in her eyes.

"...Fado?"

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**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. I hope you liked it and I'll try to update next weekend.**


	29. Sages You've Never Known

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's the next chapter.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**A.N: A line of .~~~. means it's a scene from the past. Also details in the past scenes are not necessarily known to the characters in the present.**

Chapter 29: Sages you've never known

Saria pulled herself to her feet, her eyes never leaving his face.

"Fado... it that you?"

Seeing the hope on her face, Makar hated to disappoint her. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm not Fado, my name is Makar. Fado was my predecessor, my ancestor as it were."

Saria looked crestfallen, gazing at the floor she bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Darunia placed a hand gently on her shoulder to comfort her, all the while glaring at Makar for making her cry. Annoyed by this attitude, Makar glared back at him.

"Don't blame me, I'm Fado's reincarnation, his descendant. I'm not the one who killed him. So stop with the glaring and get a grip on your emotions. You'd think the Sage of Fire would know better than to let his emotions affect his judgement." Darunia growled, Saria looked up and began trying to calm him down while Makar continued. "In case you didn't notice, I'm one of the Kokiri and so I'm welcome within this temple, hence why the defences didn't trigger when I entered. Use some common sense, lest you wish to harm some innocent bystander who stumbles across you by accident."

Darunia clenched his fist, seeing this, Saria took hold of his other arm.

"Darunia, leave him be. Kokiri are never expected to be tactful, I know Fado never was, and Mido certainly wasn't. Besides he's right."

Silence reigned in the chamber for several minutes as Darunia glared at Makar, who simply gazed blandly back at him. Finally Makar rolled his eyes and shook his head at Darunia's attitude. That was all it took to push Darunia's smouldering temper over the edge. Makar's eyes widened as Darunia threw a ball of power at him in his fury, Saria desperately tried to summon up enough power in her weakened state to block it, but couldn't. She watched in helpless horror, as the blast headed right for Makar. After his initial surprise, Makar threw a hand up in front of himself and called forth a shield at the last moment, Darunia's attack struck it and shattered, leaving a rather irritated looking Makar standing there.

"What the heck did you do that for?!"

Darunia and Saria stood looking at Makar in shock. Eventually, Saria spoke.

"How did you block that? No Kokiri has the magic to stop an attack from a sage."

Makar sighed.

"I'm not a normal Kokiri..." He looked at them. "I'm the Sage of the Wind Temple, which lies far to the north-west, and I'm more than capable of stopping an attack from another sage."

Saria sank to the floor, her hands resting on her knees.

"But if you're a sage then that would mean..."

Makar came over and put a hand on her shoulder as she looked up at him.

"Yes, Saria. Like I said, Fado was my predecessor and served as the Wind Sage before me..."

.~~~.

The sun shone down on the forest clearing, a clearing dotted with large tree stumps carved out to form houses. The forest around it held an air of newness to it, the aura of new life was everywhere, even the land itself resonated with it. Children dressed in green ran around the clearing, watched over by their Father from another clearing nearby. A Father and Guardian as new to this world as they were. Newly created spirits sang within a forest unbroken and devoid of buildings. All that existed there was the trees and the creatures that lived among them.

A voice called out joyfully across the clearing.

"Fado, let's go to the pond!"

A boy with blond hair and brown eyes looked over at the girl from where he sat on a ledge. He grinned at the girl, with her leaf green hair and vibrant blue eyes.

"Hi, Saria, I'm coming."

In a single motion he dropped from the ledge to land on a slope beneath. From there he slid down to where Saria waited for him, clapping in delight at his antics. Once beside him, she grabbed his hand and towed him towards the pond where she stopped and pointed out the fish that were swimming in it.

"Aren't they pretty? Look at all the colours."

Fado leaned over to take a closer look, before falling into the water after being pushed from behind. Saria turned to frown at the red headed boy behind her.

"Mido, that wasn't very nice. Apologise to Fado right now."

She crossed her arms and stared at him, tapping her foot as Fado pulled himself out of the pond. Unable to take that stare, Mido looked down and muttered under his breath as Fado came over.

"I'm sorry, Mido but I didn't quite hear that." Mido muttered a little louder. "I still didn't hear you."

The red head glared at him.

"I said, I'm sorry."

Fado grinned.

"Now was that really that hard to say?"

Mido scowled and stormed off, while Saria looked at Fado disapprovingly.

"That wasn't very nice either, Fado."

Fado looked at her sadly.

"...I'm going back to my ledge."

As he walked off, Saria held a hand out after him as if to stop him, then let it fall to her side. She sat down by the pond once more, but this time taking no joy from the fish that flitted through the water.

Once back on his ledge, Fado turned his face to take the full brunt of the wind that blew past this high place. The highest in the clearing, it actually stood above the tops of the trees, where the wind blew past without being slowed by branches. He'd always liked the wind, there was something about it that meant more to him than the forest. He thought that maybe that was why Mido picked on him, because he was different. As he sat there, looking down at the other Kokiri playing in the clearing below, he couldn't help but feel separate from them.

"Why? Why do I feel like this?"

**Fado...**

The boy startled, leaping to his feet and looking around in confusion.

**Fado... Come to me...**

There was something in the call that he couldn't resist and he found himself walking as if to leave the clearing. He stopped and looked back, at Saria sitting by the pond, stirring the edge with what looked like a stick.

**Come to me...**

He couldn't resist it any longer. Without looking back again, Fado walked into the forest, following the voice that called to him. For days he walked until he reached the edge of the forest. Daunted by the open plain before him, he halted, only for the voice to call him once again. Fearful, he stepped out into the sunlight and began the trek across the expanse of grass before him, going ever northward. Days turned into weeks and still he walked, following the voice. Eventually he was confronted by a mountain, at the base of which he saw a door. Moments later a figure emerged, carrying a blue instrument in their hands. Golden eyes gazed at him reassuringly, eyes framed by silver hair.

"Greetings, Fado... I am Kaiayn, the Sage of Courage... Now is your time to awaken, for I have work for you..."

.~~~.

Saria closed her eyes, tears trickling down her face.

"That day... I never saw him again, I let him walk away from me and never saw him again... I didn't even get to say goodbye. When he didn't come back, we followed his footprints to the edge of the forest. It was because of him that we believed that any Kokiri that left the forest would die, because we believed that no Kokiri would ever leave the forest for good, that if they were alive they'd come back... but he never did." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "The others forgot him over time, but I never did. Through all the centuries, the thousands of years, I never forgot, while for the others memories faded from year to year. I guess that's why I became the Forest Sage, because I was the only one of the Kokiri who remembered the past, all of the past..."

Darunia looked at Makar with a small amount of respect, no longer holding any animosity towards him.

"So you're the Sage of Wind? What exactly does the Sage of Wind do? The Sages of the Sacred Realm guard it and also watch over the land, but what is it that _you_ do?"

Makar looked a little unsure, the Temples of Earth and Wind had always been a secret from all but the Earth and Wind Sages and the Kings of Hyrule. He was about to say something when suddenly a touch of power carrying a voice brushed his awareness.

"Medli..."

Seeing his sudden distant expression, Saria got to her feet once more.

"What is it?"

Makar turned and began to run out of the temple. Darunia picked Saria up and charged after him, reaching the entrance just as Makar turned into an orb of light and soared up into the air, heading east. They followed, Darunia supporting Saria so that she could keep up. Throughout the chase the two sages tried to get Makar to answer them, but he either didn't hear them or refused to respond. In a matter of hours they saw a now familiar island on the horizon ahead of them and sure enough Makar raced towards the irregular peak. In a last ditch bid to get answers out of the sage, Darunia poured his power into getting in front of Makar and blocked the entrance to the cave. Makar glared at him.

"Move..."

Darunia set Saria on the ground next to him and held himself braced to take what ever Makar might throw at him.

"Not until we get some answers! Saria came here before and was attacked, that's why she's so weak. Do you seriously expect me to let you go in there without getting some kind of explanation?!"

Makar hesitated.

"She was attacked? Did she try to enter the temple?"

Darunia looked surprised.

"This is a Temple? But you said that yours was to the north."

Makar crossed his arms and regarded the two sages.

"And so it is... This is the Temple of Earth, the temple of my counterpart the Sage of Earth. Her name is Medli, and after what has happened these last few weeks she would likely be barely conscious due to exhaustion. If you entered her temple while she was in that condition she wouldn't have been able to sense you were a sage. You would simply have been an intruder and so she would have responded to you as if you were a threat."

Saria and Darunia looked at each other, before the Fire Sage stepped aside.

"Go... Do what you're here to do. We won't interfere."

Makar smiled and tilted his head.

"Come with me." They looked at him surprised. "Come on, you've gotten this far so you may as well come in with me. On a positive note, the fact that Medli called me means that she's fully awake, so there won't be any misunderstandings this time."

Still a little unsure, the two sages followed Makar into the cave. As he approached the barrier, it wavered and vanished allowing them to pass. At the bottom of the shaft, Saria once again found herself in the small room with the bridge, but this time the door was already open. Makar didn't react to this at all and when questioned he simply replied that Medli had opened all the doors for them. As if to confirm this, every time they entered a room the door they needed to go through next would open well before they got to it. This was the case for room after room, as Darunia and Saria looked around at the stone walls decorated with their various symbols and patterns. Eventually they reached a shaft deep within the temple, across the far side of which they could see a large ledge with a great stone door set into the far wall. Without hesitation, Makar flew over to it and turned to see if they were following, waiting until they had arrived before he opened the final door.

The room beyond was vast, it's ceiling high above them pierced by three holes through which rays of light shone. As Saria and Darunia looked around in wonder, Makar gave a small gasp and ran towards the centre of the room where the Triforce symbol glowed on the floor. There next to it, they could see a figure slumped on the stone. The distant head lifted wearily, red eyes gazing tiredly in their direction. She spoke, her weakened voice barely a whisper.

"Makar?"

Darunia and Saria watched as Makar helped his fellow sage to her feet. Once standing they could see that she looked much like a hylian, but with features that made her appear more like a bird. She regarded them for a moment, before frowning in concern at Saria.

"You're hurt, but I can sense traces of my power on you... Were you the one who intruded here a few days ago?" Saria nodded. Medli closed her eyes. "I am deeply sorry for any harm I have caused you. If there's any..."

Saria cut her off and smiled.

"It's ok, Makar explained why it is you would have attacked me. It's not your fault, you acted in the only way you could under the circumstances."

Darunia smiled at Medli as well. Finally accepting that it had all been accidental.

"I'm still curious, what is it that the two of you do? What role do you have in the protecting of the world."

Medli looked at them, with faint smile at the importance that Darunia implied of himself and his fellows.

"Makar and I play the most important role in the defence of the world." Darunia and Saria looked at her as if she was joking, but only until she continued. "We are the Sages of the Master Sword, who give it Power to Repel Evil... Without us the Sword has no power... Without us the world has no way to defeat the Great Evils that rise..."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, 2 chapters in one day! I feel a lot better now, since I've kept you all waiting for 3 weeks. I'll definitely try to update next weekend. Happy Reading.**


	30. Fourth and Fifth

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's another chapter, I'm really gonna try and get 1 up each week, if not it will be 2 chapters each fortnight after this. Sometimes I'm busy every other weekend, so at least that way it will still work out at one chapter for each week.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 30: Fourth and Fifth.

Silence reigned in the chamber, faces that were masks of shock lit by the dim light that came from the three openings overhead. Darunia and Saria stared at the two previously unknown sages, rendered speechless by the revelation they had received. Seeing this, Medli smiled reassuringly as she walked slowly over to them, carrying her harp in her arms and plucking out a faint melody that, while too quiet for them to really hear, made the two sages relax as a sense peace washed over them.

"This must be a great surprise to you, but know this, the only reason we are so willing to reveal ourselves to you now is because our safety in anonymity has already been breached. The reason Makar and I are now the sages is because a great evil found out about the true source of the Master Sword's power and killed our predecessors in an attempt to render the world unable to stop them, though as you can probably guess, the attempt was unsuccessful."

Makar came over now, also carrying his instrument in his arms, though he did not play anything. His expression was understanding as he spoke to them.

"Our temples are no longer a secret, their presence can no longer be hidden. Gone are the days when only the sages of the Master Sword and the Kings of Hyrule knew of these sacred places. Now is a time where we must actively defend our temples against intrusion, and that is why Medli attacked you Saria. We can no longer depend on secrecy to keep us safe."

Saria looked puzzled.

"The King's of Hyrule knew?"

Medli nodded.

"Yes, the gods decreed that it be that way."

Darunia and Saria looked at each other, their confusion gone, and a determined look in its place. After nodding in agreement to some unspoken conversation, Darunia turned to them.

"You can count on the Sages of the Sacred Realm to protect you, if ever you need our help all you need do is call us and we will come to your aid. We know that our fellow Sages will agree with us, after all, our duty is to protect the world against evil, and the greatest of the world's defences depends on you two."

Medli's expression became distant, something worrying her. Makar, sensing her concern, put a hand on her arm.

"What is it Medli?"

Medli wrapped her arms tightly around her harp, her eyes filled with worry.

"It's the Master Sword. Ever since I used the sword to focus the power that was sent to me by the gods, the power that made the land rise, I haven't been able to find it. There's so much residual power in the air that I can't sense where it is. I have no idea where to find it." She closed her eyes, her expression grim. "While it was underwater, the currents could have carried it anywhere, though I'm sure that it's now on land somewhere, for I felt the brush of rising earth against it just before I broke the link, but on what piece of new land I couldn't tell you."

Saria sighed.

"And with all the new plants now covering the land, the Master Sword is likely completely hidden by now. All we can do is keep our eyes open for it and hope it shows up..."

Saria and Darunia suddenly looked off as if to the distant north, a moment later they turned to Makar and Medli.

"Ruto, the Sage of the Water Temple, is awake and she's using the sea to let us know where she is. We must go to her, it is certain that the other sages will sense her as well once they awaken and there is much for us to discuss once we are all together again."

Medli indicated the glowing symbol on the floor.

"Then step on here and I can transport us all out of the temple. Makar and I will accompany you, since there are no doubt many questions both you and your fellow sages will want to ask us."

Saria smiled and stepped onto the symbol, Darunia close behind, followed by Makar and Medli. As soon as they were all in place, Medli lifted her harp and played a simple melody, and in a flash of light they were gone.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Ethereal light, dim in the darkness, barely lit the great circular platform that stood in the centre of the poisonous miasma that covered the floor of the huge chamber. Shadows lurked all around, though far from being evil, these shadows had only the aura of peaceful death after the turmoil of life. An aura of an existence after life had faded, and the light of living had faded. The shadows shifted as though stirred by a breeze, for moments before they had been sundered by a streak of golden power which had quickly faded, yet there where the light had stuck the great amethyst crystal that had dominated the chamber for a millennia had crumbled to reveal the silver haired figure within.

Impa stood up, her ruby coloured eyes glinting in the darkness. After a moment she turned her gaze to the western wall of the chamber, yet her eyes looked beyond it.

"...Ruto."

Moments later, in the village a short distance away, the people froze in their tasks as a purple orb of light shot overhead, flying towards the setting sun...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A head topped by short, wiry blond hair hung over the rail, its owner groaning every time the boat made yet another irregular lurch as the sea currents tugged in it any direction except the one they were trying to go. The voices of the three sailors called out, back and forth, as they tried to find _any_ way of controlling the boat that would allow them to traverse the sea currents, but from the continued lurching they weren't having much luck. To make things worse, the anchor cable had proved too short to reach the sea floor, so they couldn't even bring the boat to a halt.

Gerril looked up, his face tinged green, as the three sailors dropped down to sit on the deck, their expressions defeated.

"It's no good sir, the current is too strong, all we can do is let it carry us until we naturally break free of it, only then can we try and make our way back."

Gerril swallowed queasily, before speaking.

"It's alright, you've tried your best to get us out of the bloody thing. Get some rest, you might as well." He pointed at the setting sun, towards which the current was carrying them. "Besides, it's almost nightfall and it's been a long day."

The sailors nodded, exhausted by the day's efforts. As they left, the last of them turned and looked back at Gerril as he reached the door that led down to the cabins.

"Are you coming, Sir?"

Gerril shook his head.

"No, Farran, I don't feel as sick when I'm on deck. I'll just tie myself to the mast and sleep up here."

Farran smiled sympathetically, his grey eyes lit by the dying light of the sun.

"You get yourself settled, Sir. I'll bring up a blanket for you so you don't catch a chill."

Farran disappeared below deck, as the first of the night's stars began to glitter in the sky.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Four orbs of light swept across the surface of the ocean, gilding the tops of the waves with green, red, blue and golden brown. The four sages continued to travel north, but they only went as fast as their slowest member, knowing that it might still be some time before all of the Sages of the Sacred Realm were awake. Saria, still greatly weakened after her initial encounter with Medli's Temple, limped along at the back of the group having refused to be carried along anymore. As time went by, Medli realised that at their current pace she could fly normally and still keep up. Wanting to stretch her wings after being cooped up in the temple for so long, she returned to her normal form and spread her wings. Darunia and Saria were once again caught by surprise, though this time they recovered a lot faster. Though her face wasn't visible, Saria's voice was filled with wonder.

"You have wings?"

Medli swooped down to skim the top of a wave before arching upwards into open air once more, droplets of water glittering in the air around her like diamonds. Her face was picture of enjoyment as she smiled in their direction.

"I'm of the Rito Tribe, and we don't look so bird-like for nothing. We evolved here on the Great Sea, under the protection of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo. He's the one who grants the members of my tribe with wings."

Saria remained silent for a moment, before she spoke to Medli once more.

"I'm curious, we know that Makar is Kokiri, and that his predecessor, Fado, was Kokiri, but what race was your ancestor who served as the sage?"

Medli looked at them wryly, before she spoke.

"This may come as a surprise to you, but my ancestor, the previous Sage of Earth, was a Zora. Her name was Laruto."

Darunia dropped in the air a little out of surprise.

"I remember Ruto telling me about a story from the early days of her people. She said that not long after Hyrule was created the Zora Queen had twin daughters, one of which mysteriously disappeared when she was about twenty, leaving behind a young daughter, never to be seen again. The princess's name was Laruto, she was the younger twin so her branch of the family were never called on to lead the Zora Tribe, but I can tell you that they were among those sent to the mountain tops." He paused for a moment. "In fact the gods were quite insistent about it... I guess now we know why. Though Queen Latela was furious about her relatives being separated from the rest of the Royal family. It took Ruto days to get her to see reason, and even then Latela only listened because Ruto is her ancestor."

Medli looked at Darunia, curious about what he had just told her.

"The Sage of Water is a Zoran Princess?"

Darunia lurched upwards to avoid a particularly large wave before answering.

"She was a Zoran Queen in her time. The gods granted her a single lifetime among her people so that she could have a family and ensure her people would still have a leader after she abdicated her place as queen."

Medli looked thoughtful, before breaking out into a rueful smile.

"So they let her have a lifetime among her people, just like they've granted me... I wonder how she'll react to my being her cousin."

Saria laughed.

"I'd wonder more how your other cousin, Queen Latela, is going to react to finding out that her cousin's family is a Sage Line."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The air was still, and unearthly quiet in the great chamber that had once been defiled by the presence of two witches, and yet the dust that was all that remained of the dark-amber coloured crystal that had been in the centre of the room, drifted away on some breeze that did not touch the world of mortal man. The figure that had been within it rose to her feet, graceful in a way that belied her past as a thief. Eyes of palest amber opened, framed by hair of a fiery red, as Nabouru surveyed the chamber which had not changed in all the time she had been asleep. Her feet whispered over the red tiling that decorated the large central platform and four smaller plinths that stood on each side. Her face thoughtful, she turned to face south-east, to the sense of power she detected there. She smiled.

"Together once again, I wonder what the future holds for us now."

And in a flash of light, she was gone.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link sat by the tiller on the Red Lion, Navi humming merrily from her perch on his shoulder. The mapping of the North Passage had taken far less time than he had thought, and now he and the group of Mermen had almost finished mapping the western coast of the Inner Sea. It was just after dawn, Link having lifted anchor the moment there was enough light to see by, freed to travel in this half-light by the Mermen who could warn him of upcoming rocks and shallows. As he looked up at the sky, he had to admit to himself that he had missed the thrill of exploration. Sailing the same route over and over just didn't give him the same satisfaction as sailing wherever the wind might take him, off into the unknown to see what might be there. Cheered by his current circumstances, Link began to hum along with Navi, the simple tune soon turning into a joyful duet that continued even when Link leaned over the side to allow the Mermen to draw out sections of map on the slate he held for them. It also continued during Link's regular surveying of the horizon using his telescope. It was during his third such scan of the horizon, when his humming abruptly stopped.

Navi looked round from his shoulder to see his face, he was frowning at something he could see.

"What is it, Link?"

Link lowered his telescope, his eyes were still focused on that distant point that had caught his attention.

"I don't know, Navi, but I'm going to find out." He leaned over the side to get the attention of the Mermen. As soon as they appeared he gave his instructions. "I've spotted something that I need to check out, one of you come with me, the rest of you need to go back to the North Passage and wait for my signal to return."

The Mermen looked at each other before all but one of them swam off to the north. Link then turned the Red Lion and set it on a course to intercept what he had spotted, the sole remaining Merman following close behind.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The wind gently ruffled the surface of the great lake, the sun shining down on the gentle waves, gilding them with golden light. The Zoras had returned to the Domain, having decided it was best not to risk disturbing the Sage of Water as she guided her fellow sages together. As the sun rose slowly into the sky, a streak of purple seemed to strike the lakeshore. When the light faded, the silver haired figure of Impa became visible. It was close to noon when Nabouru arrived and joined Impa in her watch over Ruto, who was still in the water and calling to them all. Finally, as the sun was halfway in it's descent to the Western rim of the lake basin, that they spotted to the south three more orbs of light, along with what appeared at a distance to be a large bird. As they approached, Ruto emerged from the water and stood alongside the Sages of Shadow and Spirit, the three of them watching as the others landed a short distance from them.

Saria smiled and ran over to them as fast as her condition allowed, Darunia close behind her. As the five sages greeted each other, Makar and Medli looked on, not sure how exactly to introduce themselves. After several minutes of happy greetings and numerous questions, Saria caught their attention.

"Ruto, Impa, Nabouru. There's someone I need to introduce you to."

Moments later, Makar and Medli found themselves being looked at by five sets of eyes. Now was a time for answers.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. Please let me know what you think.**


	31. Past and Present Meet

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hi there, sorry for there not being an update last weekend but my Laptop's AC adaptor died and I didn't get the chapter finished before my battery ran out. I spent 2 days trying to get one from a shop and in the end had to buy one off the internet. I only got my laptop up and running again yesterday, big time hassle because I had to fight for use of the PC to get any reading done.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 31: Past and Present Meet.

Medli and Makar looked into the eyes of the sages of Water, Shadow and Spirit, as the wind continued to ruffle the surface of the great lake. Not sure what to say, in the end it was Saria who broke the silence. She walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on Medli's shoulder as she turned to her fellows.

"This is Medli, the Sage of the Earth Temple, and Makar, the Sage of the Wind Temple. We've only just learned of them and of the very important role they play. They are the Sages of the Master Sword, and the source of the power to repel evil that resides within it."

Impa stepped forward, her expression both surprised and curious.

"You two are the source of the Master Sword's power?"

Makar cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny they were getting.

"Yes, but only when we are praying. When we're not praying the power leaves the sword and it becomes dormant, as it will be at the moment."

Impa looked baffled, as did the other four sages. Seeing their confusion, Medli explained, lifting her harp from its strap as she did so.

"You see this instrument, this is the Earth God's Harp, and Makar has the Wind God's Violin. When we wish to infuse the power to repel evil into the Master Sword we have to stand in the sacred chambers of our temples and play the sacred songs associated with the instruments. The Earth God's Lyric and the Wind God's Aria. When we do so, our prayers are carried to the gods who then channel the power to us, we then place that power into the Master Sword, though in truth the instruments are used for other tasks besides just that. There are special doors that the gods sometimes place over important entryways, they can only be opened by either Makar or myself, depending on whose symbol is on the door."

Nabouru looked at the two of them for a long moment before shrugging and breaking out into an amused smile.

"It seems we have a lot to learn about each other, though I think it can wait for now. The gods have their reasons for making our powers work as they do so there's no point in us debating them."

Ruto smiled as well as she looked at Medli. After a moment she spoke to her.

"It's strange, Medli, I can't help but feel I've met you before somehow."

Medli giggled.

"It could be because we're cousins." Ruto gawked at her, as Nabouru and Impa looked back and forth between them, clearly struggling to find a resemblance. "My ancestor, the previous Sage of Earth, was a Zora called Laruto. Darunia told me about the story of the twin Zoran princesses and how the youngest, Laruto, vanished without a trace. He also mentioned that the gods were very insistent about her descendants being sent to the mountain tops. I'd also like to add that the Rito, the tribe I'm from, evolved on the Great Sea so it's quite possible for me to have a Zoran ancestor."

Nabouru looked at the still stunned Ruto, before looking over Medli's outfit with a practiced eye.

"She has a point, Ruto, besides the broach pinning the wrap on her shoulders has the Zoran symbol on it, as does her over tunic." She tilted her head at Medli. "Does the Rito Tribe use that symbol?"

Medli nodded.

"Yes it does, though since the Zora have been brought to the surface it would be best if we modified it so there's no confusion. I'll speak to the chieftain about it the next time I'm on Dragon Roost Island."

By this point Ruto managed to compose herself, and found her situation to be quite amusing.

"Well I never expected to find my cousin's line in quite this way, though I'm not complaining." She looked around at everyone. "So, what do we do now?"

Darunia gave them a long look.

"What else? Help those who were sealed to adjust to their new situation. The people are confused and as a result are frightened as well, we need to calm everyone down."

Makar strapped his violin on his back once more before looking over at them.

"We also need to establish ties between them and the people of the Great Sea. Most of them speak basic hyllian now, so trade should be encouraged. Especially since they all have the same queen. Queen Zyara will definitely want to sort that out as fast as possible. Knowing that their queen is there to watch over things will reassure the people as well."

Saria looked concerned.

"The queen is out in the open? But the royal family was supposed to stay hidden."

Medli and Makar looked at each other, it was Makar that turned to them and spoke.

"It's a long story and for now I think it's best that we return to our peoples and reassure them. Things can be explained in full later, but for now all you need to know is that it's safe for her to be in the open. She's in no danger."

Medli nodded.

"Makar is right, for now the people come first. We can speak of this more later."

Then, before any of them could protest, Makar and Medli vanished. Moments later they could see two points of light on the horizon, one heading south-east, and the other north-east. Impa crossed her arms as she watched them disappear from sight.

"I get the feeling that we might want to learn the rest as soon a possible. Those two were hiding a great deal from us."

Ruto sighed, her eyes also on the horizon.

"They _are_ right though. For now the people come first."

With that the five of them left the lake, each going to people who lived in the lands under their protection.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As he sailed south, in the light of the just risen sun, Link peered through his telescope at the rapidly approaching object. Navi, seeing the puzzled look on his face, poked him with a tiny finger.

"So what do you see?"

Link continued to look puzzled.

"It's a boat, a small one, and not one I recognise. Not only that but it's drifting in a sea current and no one is at the helm trying to steer it."

Navi looked in the direction of the boat.

"How do you know it's in a sea current all the way from here?"

Link chuckled.

"I can see the change in the waves, remember. I've been sailing a long time now so I know a sea current when I see one... Well, let's go get a closer look at our drifter."

Link hauled the mainsail a little higher and turned the Red Lion to intercept the boat further along the current. As he got closer, he finally spotted movement on its deck. He watched as the figure stood up, shedding that looked like a blanket before wrapping an arm around the mast to steady themselves.

Gerril clung to the mast, his sea sickness once again threatening to send him leaning over the ship's rail. He was just about to head for the cabin when a shout split the air.

"Hoy there! You look like you're having a bit of trouble!"

Gerril turned and couldn't believe what he was seeing. A sleek ship with a triangle sail cut through the sea current towards him, it's blond captain, for he was the only person visible on board, stood at the tiller, guiding the ship through the water with ease.

Link eased the Red Lion alongside the stricken boat and hauled down just enough sail to match speeds with it. He looked the boat over, his expression incredulous as he looked at its configuration. Gerril, seeing his expression, walked over to the ship's rail and called over to him.

"Why are you looking at this boat like that?"

Link stared at the boat a moment longer before he spluttered his answer, having decided to speak in hyllian just in case.

"You put to sea in THAT thing? I wouldn't sail in that thing if my life depended on it."

Gerril frowned, put out by Link's comments.

"And what might I add is wrong with it?"

Link looked at him, shocked that he had no idea what was the boat's problem.

"Your boat has a pointed keel. The Great Sea has a lot of shallow currents, a pointed keel on a small boat acts like a handle for the currents to grab on to and drag it off course. It's no wonder you're drifting, though I have to ask, why didn't you just put out your anchor when you got into trouble?"

Gerril looked at this stranger in his sleek ship with a bemused expression.

"We did... the cable wasn't long enough to reach the bottom..."

Link just blinked at him for several moments.

"You are _definitely_ not from the Great Sea. Are you one of the people who were Sealed? Two Zoras showed up a few weeks ago and they had been Sealed."

Gerril looked at him shocked.

"There are others who were brought to the surface? Just who are you?"

Link looked at him sympathetically.

"It would seem so. My name's Link by the way. I'm the best sailor on the Great Sea and was assigned the task of mapping the new coastline in this area by the Queen."

At that moment, Farran and the two other sailors had arrived on deck to stare dumbstruck at Link.

"The Queen? You know the Royal Family?"

Link nodded.

"Yes, though I don't think this is the ideal place to talk about it." He pointed east. "I'm guessing that you came from that direction since the current flows from there. I'll tow you back to where you sailed from and we can talk more after that." Link leaned over the side and whistled, the Merman who had accompanied him popped his head out of the water. "Go to the Rito flyer and tell him to deliver this message to the queen as fast as possible. 'People other than the two Zoras have also been brought to the surface, I'll be accompanying them to where they came from and will send further word when I can.'"

The merman grinned and vanished beneath the water as Gerril, Farran and the others looked on in surprise.

"What was that?"

Link grinned.

"That was a Merman. They're a fish race, thought completely separate from the Zoras. A group of them was helping me map the coastline, and when I spotted your boat I sent all but one of them away. He stayed with me just in case I needed to send a message... Now, let's get you back where you came from."

Link left the rail of the Red Lion and lifted the forward cargo hatch. He disappeared below deck to appear a moment later with a coil of rope. They watched as he knotted it to form two short lengths that attached to the long length remaining. These he tied fast to anchor points on the rear deck of the Red Lion. He went to the tiller and with a brief movement the ship moved further forward so that he was almost level with the bow of Gerril's boat. With that Link grabbed the trailing end of the rope and leapt partway up the outside of the Red Lion's rigging, from which he then launched himself onto the boat's forward deck. Once there he hauled up their anchor and then tied the rope to the base of the anchor winch before looping and knotting it around spar on the bow. Moments later he was back on his own deck. The Red Lion pulled ahead of them and turned south, then east. In a few seconds the rope became taut and the boat steadily turned east before being towed at a fair speed through the current and back along the coast.

Farran looked at the Red Lion with an expression akin to awe.

"Now _that_ guy knows how to sail."

Link appeared at the aft rail of his ship and waved to them to get their attention before he shouted to them to be heard over the waves.

"So how far have you guys come?"

Farran shouted back.

"We're not sure, but it's been three days since we set off. We got caught by the current halfway through the first day."

They watched as Link stopped and clearly began working something out in his head. He threw his chip log over the side to check their speed before thinking some more.

"Two and a half days in the current would have carried you about eight or nine sea leagues. At our current speed we're doing six and a half sea leagues a day. It's going to be about noon tomorrow before we reach where you sailed from."

Gerril turned to look at Farran and the others.

"Well then, I guess we should just sit back and enjoy the ride."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

In the village the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. People moved around in the shadow of the village windmill, constantly stopping to look up at the sky in case any more of what they were calling the 'demon birds' should swoop down on them. They had never seen their like before, and with their long necks and sharp beaks the birds were a threat to anyone who didn't wield a bow. Impa had landed just outside of the village, and now as she stepped through the village gate the people called out in relief.

"Lady Impa, where have you been? The village was attacked by monstrous birds, many were hurt by them, though thank the gods no one was killed."

Impa looked at them in concern.

"I was meeting with my fellow sages. It seems that things have been moved around and we had to actually find each other. Now can you describe these birds to me?"

One young man came forward, his expression fearful.

"They are as large as a full grown man, my Lady, have a neck long enough to reach a man from sword's length, and a beak that can cut through even the toughest leather. They are purple in colour, with vivid tail feathers of yellow, orange and green."

Impa frowned.

"Perhaps they are a breed of bird from the sea areas. The long neck and sharp beak would make them excellent hunters over open water." She looked at them all. "Do not worry, for now I will discourage them should they return, though the rules that bind me mean I cannot kill them. For now we need to organise ourselves and prepare for the winter, we have barely time to grow food to last the cold months so that should be the village priority. Word is being sent to the Queen by a fellow sage, to let her know of the people who have been brought to the surface."

An elderly woman looked at Impa, the light of hope dawning in her eyes.

"The Queen?"

Impa nodded.

"Yes, though it might be some time before help from her can reach us. Until then we need to band together."

Unknown to the people of the village, they were about to get some unexpected visitors. High up alongside the mountain, the first of the Rito exploration teams had found the air was now stable enough to fly through.

Quill looked up at the mountain apprehensively, before looking over at the three other Rito with him. The four of them had split up for a short time to explore and had now gathered again to tell each other of their findings.

"Did any of you see anything?" All but one of them shook their heads. Quill turned to him.

"What did you see, Hierin?"

Hierin pointed south using one of his legs.

"There's what appears to be a village, it has a windmill that is clearly visible from a height."

Quill looked in the direction Hierin had indicated with curiosity.

"It seems that Marren and Irreilla are not the only ones brought to the surface. Let us introduce ourselves, though I think we should make a high pass over the village to let them spot us. We don't want to startle them by appearing out of nowhere."

The three other Rito nodded with agreement before following Quill on his slow glide down to the village. Meanwhile in the village in question, the people were still talking with Impa. Though that was about to change.

One of the men on the watchtower called out with alarm and pointed to the sky. There high above them was the shadowed outline of four large birds. The villagers scrambled to grab bows as Impa gathered to her the power for a spell to knock them off balance and scare them away. The birds were blocked from view by the cliff around the village, though from the sound of the wing beats on the wind, they had descended and were heading their way once again. Four winged figures appeared above the cliff to be greeted by a volley of arrows. With a cry of surprise, Quill and two of the Rito scattered to the sides, Hierin however dropped to go beneath the arrows, and misjudged the space available to him. There was a crash followed by the sound of breaking branches as he flew into the large tree that dominated the village green before falling to the ground, stunned by the impact.

Impa immediately recognised the similarity between him and Medli and held up a hand to stop the villagers from firing on him again.

"Stop, he is not an enemy." She looked up at Quill and the other two Rito where they hovered nervously above. "I am sorry you were fired upon, but this village has been attacked by giant birds recently and you were mistaken for them. I have met one of your tribe already. Her name is Medli."

The three Rito landed next to Hierin, Quill walked forward.

"You've seen Medli? Is she alright? We have heard nothing of her since it was confirmed she had sealed herself within her temple."

Impa smiled reassuringly.

"She is fine. Myself and four of my fellow sages met her and Makar just yesterday. The last I saw of her she was heading home."

Quill looked surprised.

"You are a sage?"

"Yes, I am the Sage of Shadow, and my temple lies in the graveyard beyond the windmill."

Quill tilted his head respectfully.

"It is an honour to meet you. I am Quill, the Chieftain of the Rito Tribe's personal messenger." He gestured to Hierin and the others. "The four of us were exploring this area when we spotted the village, however we had no idea that Kargorocks had been in this area." Seeing their puzzled expressions he explained. "The only birds on the Great Sea that are as large as a Rito are Kargorocks. A vicious bird with a long neck and bright yellow and green tail feathers. They are scavengers that will attack anything that seems to be an easy target. Your village would have been very tempting since they've learned long ago that the villages and towns of the Great Sea are too well defended from them." He paused and looked at the gathered villagers. "Perhaps we can give you some advice on how to defend against them. Once they see you using the same methods we use, they should stop attacking altogether. I'd also like to ask if you want your village to be included in the postal routes. The Rito tribe run the postal service for the inhabitants of the Great Sea as our ability to fly lets us travel very fast... At the very least we could ferry messages between you and the Queen."

A middle aged man wearing a badge of office stepped forward.

"As the village Mayor I can tell you that we would be happy to have your help. Right now we have no way of knowing what is going on in the other settlements that were sealed. A reliable means of communication would be a great help, especially as we are facing a shortfall on our food supplies. We're not sure if we have time to grow enough food to see us through the winter."

Quill looked concerned.

"You don't have enough food? How did that happen?"

The mayor sighed.

"For some reason everything beyond the village boundaries was wiped clean. We lost all of our crops that were sealed with us, and with it being mid summer we have little time left to grow more."

Quill pondered this for a moment before speaking.

"If you have had this problem then it is likely that the other Sealed settlements may have the same problem as well. Grow what you can, I will see to it that your plight is brought to the attention of the people of the Great Sea. We will grow what extra we can to help you."

Impa watched the unfolding scene with interest. Mildly surprised at such an open willingness to help. It seemed the people of the Great Sea still held the true spirit of unity that had made Hyrule such a prosperous and peaceful country in the past, even when they lived separated by such large stretches of open ocean. Seeing that things were fine for now, she faded back into the shadows and let the people of Kakariko and their Rito visitors build on the friendship started today."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link eyed the sturdy wooded structure that extended into the water, all the while gently bringing the Red Lion to a halt next to it. After securing the buffers between the hull and the pier, he leapt down onto it to tie the mooring lines to the rough bollards that stuck up from the edge at intervals. Once done he thumped a foot against the planking and jumped on the spot a couple of times to check how sturdy it really was. He smiled.

"I'll tell you this much, your choice of boat may have been way off but you definitely know how to build a proper pier." He scrutinised the rough shaping of the nearest bollard. "Though it needs some finishing if you want it to be used as a regular dock for trade. As it is it'll rub the thinner mooring lines of some ships though after a few visits. A sure thing to drive ships away from a port, no captain wants their ship to make an unscheduled departure on the tide or into the dock side."

Gerril and the sailors finished tying their boat to the other side of the pier, the sailors clearly taking note of Link's advice as they watched him out of the corner of their eyes. He had made a real impression on them. They were only moderately experienced sailors, and then only at sailing on lakes. Link however was a master at his craft of sailing on the sea, and they were eager to learn all they could from him.

Link looked around, scanning the land to the south for the town Gerril had said they'd come from.

"So where is this town of yours?"

Gerril walked over to stand beside him. His expression mildly reproving.

"It's called Hyrule Castle Town, and it's the capital of Hyrule." He paused. "Or at least it was before the Sealing. It lies five miles beyond that ridge just over there."

Link looked at the ridge with his telescope before giving Gerril a wry smile.

"Well that explains why I can't see it." He glanced over his shoulder at the Red Lion. "Navi, are you coming?"

Gerril looked confused.

"Who are you talking to? You were alone on that ship."

Link looked sidelong at him.

"Actually I wasn't, but Navi decided to turn shy when I approached you and has been hiding herself from you since then." He looked at the ship again. "Come on, Navi! Don't you want to see the Castle Town?"

A tiny voice called out from the ship.

"I've seen it already!"

A look of understanding came to Link's eyes and he walked over to the ship.

"It reminds you of my ancestor, doesn't it? It's ok then, you can stay if you like. It would have been nice to hear some of the stories of when you and my ancestor visited it though."

Navi spoke again, sounding both amused and annoyed.

"Ok, now you're just trying to guilt trip me into coming... and it worked. Alright, I'll come too." Navi emerged from the now coiled tow rope on the deck and flew over to land on Link's shoulder. Seeing the shocked stares of the four hyllians she said tartly. "What? You've never seen a Forest Fairy before? Geeze!"

With that she disappeared into Link's backpack. Link looked over his shoulder at his pack before turning to Gerril once more.

"Looks like you annoyed her. Don't worry she'll get over it."

A faint retort that sounded like 'You wanna bet on that?' came from his pack as he walked back over to Gerril. With no further comments on his unlikely companion, the five of them set off towards the Castle Town. Not sure what else the gods might throw at them.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Long chapter, longer than I thought it would be. 4375 words to be exact. Man that's my longest chapter ever. Anyway, I hope you liked it.**


	32. Capital of Old

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well then, here's chapter 32. I hope this chapter makes sense, I've had to type it over a few days since I ran out of typing time on Sunday. As it is I was up til 1am finishing chapter 60 of Prequel. lol**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 32: Capital of Old.

Link couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at his surroundings as they walked through the gates of Hyrule Castle Town. Never in all his life had he seen such a huge settlement, and it was clear that he was a little daunted by it as Gerril turned to look at him. The scout gave him an understanding look as Farran put a hand on Link's shoulder.

"I understand what it's like for you. I grew up in a small village in the outer regions of Hyrule, I myself found the Castle Town to be a rather frightening place at first, but you get used to it."

Link tore his eyes away from the crowded street and looked at Gerril.

"You're right, I will get used to it given a little time. It's just this place, this town, is bigger than my home island, or at least it's bigger than it was before the new land rose to the surface." Link gave him a wry smile. "You also have to remember, I spend most of my time sailing the open ocean. Even when I do stop at a settlement, the biggest town on the Great Sea, Windfall, is small compared to this place."

Link glanced around again, relaxing a little as he got used to the noise. Navi, sensing that he was feeling more comfortable, peered out from under the top flap on his backpack. She looked up at the sky before directing a glance at Gerril.

"You know it's getting late. We should really find someplace to stay the night. Link can meet that mayor you mentioned in the morning. If he goes now, chances are he'll be up all night." She sighed and peered down the street. "Besides, it means you can show him around a little, Hyrule Castle Town has some beautiful sights and most of them look the best as the sun sets."

Gerril smiled.

"Then allow me to take you to the Scout Barracks. It's only a small building, but still it's warm and always has a couple of spare beds available. You can stay there for tonight. As for the sights, I can show you the Grand Procession and the Marketplace Fountain on the way there. I'd show you the Town Gardens, but they're on the far side of the town. We wouldn't get there before sunset and they can't be truly appreciated after dark." The scout led Link down the street after waving Farran and the other two departing sailors farewell, giving him a running commentary of their surroundings. "Now that's Mistress Kanai's bakery, she makes the best shortcakes you'll ever find, and that's Bergen Traffa's Tannery, if you need anything from saddles to plough harnesses he's your man." They stepped onto a very wide street. "Now _this_ is the Grand Procession. It's along this road that the heir to the throne travels on the day of their coronation. It leads through the Marketplace, and then onto where the Castle Road leaves the town. The Castle used to be just a few miles away from the outskirts, but there's nothing there now, it was one of the first things the Scouts were sent to check on."

Link stopped his staring at the Procession and turned to look at Gerril. Seeing the distressed look in the man's eye, Link placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Gerril, the Castle was only a building. It may be gone, but the Royal Family remains. The Queen will have heard of you all by now and I know for certain that she's doing all she can to help you. That's all that matters, not some building of wood and stone. Castles may fall, but as long as the Royal Family survives, the people will always have someone to look to."

Gerril took a deep breath and gave Link a look of gratitude.

"Thank you, Link, you're right it was only a building. The important thing is that we hold on to what it represented in our hearts and stay true to the Royal Family. That is all we need to stay united." He glanced down the street. "Well then, shall we get going? I still have the Marketplace Fountain to show you."

Gerril playfully grabbed Link's arm and hauled him down the street as half hearted protests ushered from the young sailor. Link gave the scout a challenging look and suddenly pulled himself free before sprinting down the wide street. Gerril dashed after him, accepting the race. Laughs burst from them as they strived to reach the Marketplace first, and much to Gerril's surprise, Link beat him despite the scout being used to running for fifty miles or more at a time, when Link had never run more than a mile at once. Link stopped at the edge of the Marketplace, his hands resting on his knees as he leaned over to catch his breath. He grinned at the scout.

"Not bad for a guy who spends most of his time on a ship, eh?"

Gerril slapped him on the back as he too tried to catch his breath.

"Not bad at all. Now _there_ is the Fountain." Link looked in the direction he pointed. "It's more than two thousand years old, and the pride of the Town. People have come from all over the lands of Hyrule just to see it, not to mention that it's in this square that the largest of the markets in Hyrule is held."

Link looked at the huge fountain, the rim of the great circular pool was nearly thirty meters in diameter, and the fountain itself towered nearly fifteen meters into the air. Water tumbled in many myriad streams from its heights. In among them were carvings of every race in Hyrule along with symbols from each culture. Above it all, on the very peak of the structure, was the crest of the Royal Family. He stared awestruck at the fountain, as Gerril grinned beside him.

"...Wow..."

Navi chose that moment to speak, her blunt comments rousing Link from his stunned silence.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it. I watched when they built the thing. Did you know they had to dismantle it twice because they blocked the channels inside it while putting it together? And after that they had to remake half the carvings because someone used the wrong kind of stone and the preserving spells didn't work, causing the water to make parts of it drop off."

The scout simply stared at the fairy.

"Uhh..."

Link rolled his eyes.

"Navi, you sure know how to spoil the mood don't you."

She giggled as she peeked out at him from his backpack.

"Well then, here's something to make up for it. Two years after they started, when they finally got it right, they asked the Hero of Time to give his blessings to the project and what it represented. If you go round to the far side of the fountain and look between the carvings of the spiritual stones of Forest and Water, you'll see where he used the Triforce of Courage to melt his handprint into the stone along with his family crest. It was the last thing he did before leaving Hyrule."

Gerril took one look at her before running over to and around the fountain, with Link close behind. Leaning on the rim, he squinted through the dying light at the place she had described. After several seconds of scrutinising the area he gasped. There, lit by the ripples of light reflected from the water, was a handprint in the stone, just beneath an image of the Triforce set into a ring. The scout stood up straight once again, stunned by what he had seen.

"I thought I had learned everything about this fountain and yet I had no idea that was there... So much has been lost to time, though how the people could forget something as visible as this is beyond me." He looked at Link, who was staring at the impression while clutching something through his shirt. He started as Gerril nudged him. "We'd best hurry. It won't be long before it gets dark and we still have to get to the Scout Barracks." He looked over his shoulder at the fountain. "It makes me wonder though, just how much of the past have the people forgotten."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli stood on the promontory that jutted out above the southern end of Dragon Roost Island. It had taken several hours of repeated questions before she had been able to reassure her tribe that she was fine and that the changes on the Great Sea were the will of the gods and that she didn't know exactly why they had done what they had. After that she'd spent another three hours talking to the Chieftain, during which the two of them had come up with a modified version of the tribe's symbol to replace the old one. The three plain arcs were to be replaced be three pairs of wings that would join in the centre in the same shape as the original symbol. It was similar enough to the old one to be readily acceptable, and yet different enough from the Zoran symbol for them to be easily told apart. Eventually, once that was settled, she had been summoned by Lord Valoo, who too sought what ever answers she could give him. It was he to whom she told the full details of her encounter with five of the six Sages of the Sacred Realm. In the end it was nearly a full day before she could finally find the time to stand alone on the cliff top, casting the sound of her harp to winds as she did in the days before her awakening.

She stopped playing as footsteps brushed the stone behind her. Without turning, she spoke in an amused tone.

"Komali, I hope you aren't going to ask me if I'm ok. I've been asked that so many times that it I hear it again I fear I might throw something."

Komali grinned at her as she turned to face him. He held a single flower out to her, as he had done many times over the years since Ganondorf's defeat.

"I have no intention of asking you such a question my dear lady, for I would surely avoid having my humble self thrown bodily off the cliff without having given my fair maiden this token of my admiration."

Medli smiled as she accepted the flower.

"Why thank you kind sir, and to what reason do you honour me with your presence?"

Komali offered her his arm.

"Why only to ask it you might grant me the great honour of a dance beneath the stars."

Medli set her harp down carefully on the floor before accepting the offered arm. There beneath the stars the two of them danced, to the soft sound of the wind across the harp strings.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Quill leant over the row of stopped jars and their accompanying long handled brushes. After a moment's consideration he removed one of the stoppers to check the contents and hastily replaced it as the odour of what was within rose to burn his nostrils.

"You've definitely got the mixture right this time. It took some work since you've had to find substitutes for some of the herbs, but you've done a good job."

One of the village youths gave the jar a sceptical look before glancing at Quill with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you serious? You're telling us that this stuff will protect the village from those Kargorocks? No way!"

Quill gave him a humouring glance.

"You want proof? Very well, let's take one jar and brush with us and drive off that pair of Kargorocks that have set up roost on that cliff to the north."

Over the days since their arrival, Quill and Hierin, who had remained in the village while the others took word back to the roost, proceeded to teach the people of Kakariko how to defend against the Kargorocks. The liquid in the jars, the main defence, was predictably being met by scepticism. Ignoring the looks he was receiving from the villagers, Quill picked up and jar and brush and set off up the trail. He was barely halfway to the first bend on the trail when one of the Kargorocks came screaming down on him. Unperturbed by the attack, he pulled the top off the jar and dipped the brush into it. The vicious bird swooped down, beak ready to latch onto the Rito... Instead it got hit in the face by the brush which splattered the bird with the liquid. The villagers covered their ears as the Kargorock shrieked, and then looked on bemused as the bird spluttered and cried as it tried to rid itself of the concoction. The second bird took one look at Quill and his dripping brush and beat a hasty retreat, closely followed by the first.

With a nod of satisfaction, Quill ran the brush over the edge of the jar to wring as much of the mixture back into the container as he could. That done, he put the top back on and turned to the villagers. The youth who had looked at him with such scepticism, now cleared his throat and glanced away.

"I uh... I... You were right."

Quill smiled.

"That pair won't be returning here. When they've been hit once they never come back. All you need to do is keep the jars in convenient places around the village. The smell from the used brushes is a small price to pay for getting rid of the Kargorocks."

He looked up as Hierin came over to hover above them. The young Rito shouted down to them grinning.

"Those two are hightailing it towards the coast. You can hear the spluttering of the one you hit from nearly a mile away."

Quill waved up to him.

"Good, it will serve as a warning to any others of its kind that this village will no longer be an easy target."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra sighed as she sat down next to the map table. Much of it had been filled out with detail over the past few days. Detailed renditions of the altered islands had been the first thing to be added, but now the coastal areas of the new central continents were beginning to be added as the air over the land became stable enough to fly through. She placed a hand on the map, her fingertips resting on the newly marked Village of Kakariko, and also the Goron City that they had told the Rito of. Other reports of a multi levelled fortress in a rocky area of the new Desert Continent to the north-west had just come in, though no map of the area had been produced yet and the Rito were still waiting for their most trusted representative, Quill, to finish teaching the people of Kakariko about the Kargorocks before they would send him to speak to the desert dwellers. Word had also been received from Marren and Irreilla on Outset. They had sent the message that they had been hearing the calls of other Zoras echoing though the ocean and that they were coming from an area directly north of the island. The Rito scouts had marked a lake on the western most point of the new continent, and it lay due north of Outset making it near certain that the lake area was where the Zoras had been brought to the surface, leaving her with yet another group to attempt to make some kind of contact with.

Soft snoring came from the chair across the room making Tetra glance up to look at the sleeping form of her Chief Advisor. She had promoted Eidan to that formal position only two days before, his extensive knowledge of the contents of the Hidden Library making him indispensable in the current situation. He knew far more about the culture and traditions of Hyrule before it was sealed, and such knowledge might be needed if she was to succeed in uniting the people as one nation once more. She turned her eyes back to the map, and the huge sweep of land that now dominated the centre of it. She had a dilemma, the people who were sealed needed her, but with no roads to settlements, places like Kakariko were totally inaccessible on foot, and yet if the much needed food that was now being grown all over the Great Sea were to get to them, land travel was the only way to do it.

"Damn."

She bent down to study the map once more, hoping that she could find a solution before it was too late.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A carved stone goblet flew across the room to bounce off the far wall, as Ruto winced at the tone in her descendant's voice.

"Ancestress Ruto, you find a descendant of our cousin's line and you're telling me you didn't bring them to the Domain? They are a member of the Zoran Royal Family, they belong here!" The queen's dainty fist slammed down on the arm of her throne with a very un-dainty thud as she pinned Ruto with a piercing stare. "Well, do you have an explanation?"

Ruto regarded Queen Latela cautiously. While the queen could not and would not harm her, with the amount of time Ruto spent in the Domain she could make her life rather uncomfortable. Weighing up the consequences, she decided that being annoyed by her descendant was something she would have to face putting up with. It was her duty as a sage to tell the outright truth in situations like this and not try to gloss them over.

"Latela, I could no more have forced her to come here than I could force any other of my fellow sages. Besides, the Zora's who were sent to the surface have evolved to a new form over the centuries, they no longer live in the water. I doubt living here would be either comfortable or practical for her, not to mention it would get in the way of her responsibilities to watch over her tribe."

Queen Latela looked confused.

"Than any other of your fellow sages? Evolved? Her tribe?"

Ruto sighed.

"Her name is Medli and she's the Sage of the Earth Temple, a temple that until now was completely unknown to me and my fellows. She is one of two sages that give the Master Sword its power. It seems Princess Laruto, who vanished so long ago, was the first sage. Medli, as Laruto's descendant, took her place when she awakened at some time in the last few years. As for their new evolution, her people call themselves the Rito. They are bird-like and are gifted wings by the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo. I managed to talk to Saria and Darunia as we parted ways to return to our areas, they told me that she's also the attendant to Lord Valoo on behalf of her tribe. She has a great number of responsibilities and until she finds and trains a successor to that role, that in itself would prevent her from living here... Though I think the prospect of her feathers developing mildew from the damp would be another such reason."

Latela stared blankly at Ruto, left speechless by her blunt and tactless delivery of her answer. Ruto looked sidelong at her, but remained silent as she waited for Latela to either accept it gracefully... or explode.

_And to think... Darunia says I used to act like her..._

Latela remained silent for several seconds longer, before clenching a hand on the arm of the throne so hard her knuckles turned white.

"_What?_"

Ruto grimaced as her descendant broke into a full tirade. It was going to be a long few weeks for her to calm down again...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Saria looked at the lightening horizon, as she mused as to what she should do. The Kokiri were accustomed to the Great Sea, they had lived on it all their lives. The Forest Temple was still resonant with the power from the growing of the plant life that now shrouded the new land, and she wanted somewhere away from that to sit and think. She flew over the new land, close to the southern coastline of the expanse of water in the centre of it. The light from the now just risen sun creating long shadows across the landscape. She looked down at the curved shapes they made, until suddenly she saw one that was oddly geometric. She looked up to find it's source, and gasped when she saw what it was.

"Hyrule Castle town!"

She swooped down and proceeded to drift over the rooftops of the sleeping town. All was quiet, as was to be expected when the sun had only just risen. She was just passing over the Marketplace when she had a sudden thought.

_I know where I can go... The Town Gardens..._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Light peered weakly though the window into the Scout Barracks to shine faintly on the bed that had been offered to Link. Gerril was still asleep, as were the two other scouts who were currently in residence. As for Link, he lay there on his back, studying his family crest on its chain around his neck. Somehow, seeing that handprint melted into the stone of the fountain had made the fact that he was descended from the Hero of Time all the more real. That yesterday he had looked upon a place where his ancestor had stood and given a gift of hope to the people.

"Navi..."

The little forest fairy wriggled out from under his pillow and landed on the hand that held the golden pendant.

"Seeing that handprint yesterday really meant a lot to you didn't it."

Link sighed.

"It's just that he did so much for Hyrule, and I've heard dozens of legends about him ever since I was little. To know that I'm descended from him and to see his handprint imbedded in stone as an everlasting reminder, it's just..."

"It makes you think about how things around you can change in an instant. You grew up thinking you were the son of nothing more special than a sailor. Then you became the Hero of Winds and now you've found out that you're descended from the Hero of Time. It's been a lot for you to take in, it's only natural that some of it would seem a bit unreal to you."

Link chuckled.

"It makes me wonder what else life and the gods will throw my way."

There was a groan on the other side of the room, Gerril say up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he peered blearily towards Link.

"Was someone talking just now?"

Link propped himself up on an elbow.

"I was just chatting to Navi about seeing the handprint on the fountain... Say, are we going to get any breakfast? I haven't actually eaten anything since we docked at the pier yesterday."

As if in answer, Gerril's stomach rumbled. He glanced wryly at Link.

"If you get some of that sweet dough of yours out of your pack, I'll see if I can scrounge us some dried fruit to go with it."

Link smiled.

"Sure."

After their rather hasty breakfast, and getting chased by a cook because Gerril swiped several dried apples, the two of them set off for the Town Mayor's Office. From the size of the town itself, Link was expecting it to be a large building, but instead it was about the size of an average house, the only difference being the double doors set into the front of it. Gerril ushered Link inside and gestured for him to follow him up the stairs. When they reached the top, Gerril spoke to the guard by the door.

"Tell Mayor Darthan that scout Gerril has returned to make his report."

The guard recognised Gerril, and so made no comment as he opened the door and spoke.

"Sir. Scout Gerril has returned to..."

"Well send him in, don't waste any time with nonsense protocol."

The guard grimaced and opened the door.

"Rather you than me. He's been really jumpy the last few days."

The two of them entered the room, the door closing with a soft thud behind them. Link found himself looking at a man who was clearly under a lot of pressure. He didn't blame him for being jumpy, especially considering what had happened from their side of things.

Mayor Darthan frowned when he saw Link, and looked at Gerril confused.

"Gerril, who is this? What happened to your explorations, I never expected you back this soon."

Gerril gestured to Link, who was now looking a little concerned.

"This is Link, a master sailor from the Islands. We got into difficulties with the boat and ended up stuck drifting in a sea current. Link came across us on his own exploration of the area and towed us back to the pier after explaining why we were having so much trouble controlling out boat." He glanced at Link. "I do believe you said you'd never sail in that boat if your life depended on it."

At that comment, and the suddenly bemused expression on Darthan's face, Link relaxed and allowed himself a small chuckle.

"Well can you blame me? There's also the small matter that your anchor cable was nowhere near long enough to reach the bottom. You couldn't stop, even when you wanted to."

Darthan cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Gerril, your report..."

Gerril coughed and tried to compose himself. After a few moments he began to explain what had happened. After several minutes of talking he ended his report.

"So you see, Sir, we owe this young man a debt of gratitude, especially since he's promised to get word to the queen of our whereabouts, which is very important considering our current food situation."

Link looked startled.

"You're running short on food?"

Darthan brought a hand up to his forehead.

"When we woke up, all of the land beyond the town had been wiped clean, even the terrain itself has changed. We lost all of the crops we'd planted before the Sealing, and now we have little time left to grow more. As things stand, we will likely starve before the winter is out."

Link mulled this over.

"Well knowing the Queen, if she's had word of any other settlements and they're faced with the same dilemma, she'll have sent word out to all the settlements in the Great Sea and asked them to grow all the extra they can. With all the new land we have, and the fact that many of our land crops can be grown twice a year, we should be able to make up enough of the deficit to see everyone though til the winter crops are ready. The problem will be getting the food to the settlements. That pier you built will be ideal for this town, but you'll need to make a road out to it as soon as possible. The same goes for any other settlements, they need to set up a trade route to the sea so that we can get supplies to them."

Mayor Darthan looked startled. After a moment he managed to find his voice.

"You barely know us and yet you're so willing to help us. Why?"

Link gave him a puzzled look.

"Why? We have the same Queen, are part of the same Kingdom of Hyrule... of course I'm willing to help."

Darthan looked a little ashamed of his outburst, and also looked very relived at Link's offer of help on behalf of his fellow Islanders. He stood up and walked over to Link, offering him a hand in gratitude.

"My apologies, I shouldn't have doubted you. You've already helped when you did not have to, and for that I am grateful." Link accepted the offer and clasped the Mayor's hand with a nod. Darthan gestured to the door. "I think it's time I spent some time out of this office. Perhaps I could show you around the town a little."

Gerril raised a hand.

"Sir, I was going to show Link the Town Gardens. Maybe this would be a good time."

Darthan smiled.

"Yes, that's a good idea. It's been some time since I've been there myself, and the quiet there would do us all some good."

A small voice piped up from Link's pack.

"I haven't been in those gardens for a lot longer than you. I wonder if that little hidden rose garden is still in there..."

Darthan peered at Link's pack, clearly baffled. He looked at Link and Gerril who replied in unison.

"Navi."

Darthan looked even more puzzled.

"Navi?"

Link chucked.

"A long time family friend. She's a Forest Fairy and she shows herself when she wants to, and not before."

The mayor stared for a moment longer before shaking himself and walking to the door, while behind him Gerril tried to hide a smile.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The Town Gardens were a peaceful place, spells around the perimeter muffled the sounds of the bustling town around it and helped create the illusion that anyone within it was in some secluded land far away from the noise of the Old Capital. Gerril, Darthan and Link strolled along one path after another, Navi peering out from under the flap of Link's pack as they went along. The Mayor immediately began to relax once they had entered, allowing Link to see just how much strain the man was under. But here in this place, the worries of the outside world melted away, and one could forget, for a time, the pressures of the world beyond the gilded gates of the garden.

Link leaned over to take a closer look at one of the plants before glancing up at his two companions.

"I can see why this place is loved so much by the people of the town. The garden radiates peace even in this troubled time, and that is something to be cherished." Link tilted his head, as if listening to something. "Are there usually musicians in here? I've been hearing some faint music for some time now."

Darthan frowned.

"Musicians are normally only allowed to perform in here during festivals. If there's one in here now then they are breaking the rules." He sighed. "Why is it there's always something that the _Mayor_ has to deal with. Which way can you hear it coming from?"

Link pointed down a path to their right, and the Mayor immediately set off down it with the two of them in tow. As they progressed deeper into the garden, the music became identifiable. It was an ocarina, playing a cheerful tune that brought to mind sunlight dancing through the branches of a tree. Finally after several minutes of walking numerous twisting paths, they entered a small grove fenced in by towering walls made of living roses that perfumed the air. Darthan stopped in his tracks with a gasp as the girl sat in the middle of the rose garden looked up at him.

"I am sorry, Lady Saria, I did not know it was the Sage of the Forest Temple who was in here. Pardon our intrusion, we will leave you in peace."

Saria clambered to her feet.

"No, there is no need for you to be sorry. I should have remembered that music is only played in here during festivals, of course you would seek out anyone violating the peaceful silence of the garden." She smiled softly, only to suddenly look down at the ocarina in her hand with puzzlement. It was resonating. "Now why is this...?"

Link's eyes widened as he too heard a noise, this one was coming from his pack. He dropped it to the floor and opened it, dislodging Navi in the process. A small amount of rummaging later and he pulled out the fairy ocarina that had belonged to the Hero of Time. Saria saw it and gasped.

"That ocarina! Where did you...? I gave that ocarina to the Hero of Time when he was only a child..." It was then that Navi picked herself up off the ground and landed on Link's shoulder. Saria stepped forward, stunned by the fairy's appearance. "Navi?" Link looked up into her eyes as Darthan and Gerril looked on baffled. She looked at him, as confused as they were. "...Who are you?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well this was going to be 2 chapters but I decided to just put it all together in 1, and yeah I know that's an evil place to end it. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Happy reading. OMG, I just used the word count tool. This chapter is over 5500 words long! So much for the last chapter being my longest.**


	33. Revelation of the Past

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry about the wait. I was working all Saturday and on Sunday it was our Easter family reunion thing. 19 people in two small rooms... chaos.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 33: Revelation of the Past.

Link looked at her, clearly uncomfortable as Saria stared at him in confusion. She took a step forward, her gaze moving to Navi before returning to his face.

"Are you going to answer me? Who are you?"

Link glanced off to the side, tugging at his shirt as he did so.

"I uh..." He gave a resigned sighed. "I might as well get it over with." He turned to her and looked her in the eye. "My name is Link... and I'm a direct descendant of the Hero of Time. That's why I have the ocarina you gave to him. It's also why Navi is with me."

Saria's eyes widened as Gerril and Darthan erupted into splutters having gasped so hard it went the wrong way. Gerril mastered his coughing first and stared at Link with utter shock.

"You're the descendant of the Hero of Time?"

Link began to look even more uncomfortable as he glanced at the scout while pulling on a stray strand of hair.

"Yes... You know that symbol that Navi pointed out on the fountain? It really is the family crest of the Hero of Time's family. We still use it today." Link pulled his pendant out from under his shirt and held it up in the light. "See?"

Darthan and Gerril stared blankly at the golden pendant. During this, Saria regained her composure enough to talk.

"When...? When did his family return to Hyrule? How many generations was it before they found their way back to his homeland? The Sages knew nothing of this, we had no idea they'd come back."

Link bit down on his lip, refusing to look at her when he finally answered.

"The Hero of Time brought his family back to Hyrule late in his life, when he was old, and told only the queen of his return. Ever since then only the Queens of Hyrule have known of us being in Hyrule. It was to protect us until the time when a member of our bloodline would be called upon to strike down Ganondorf." Saria looked at him, her eyes showing she was beyond hurt by what he had told her. Her friend had returned to Hyrule and had never spoken to her or even let her know he was there. Before she could say anything, Link continued. "It's no different to my family keeping the knowledge of the Royal Family's location secret for the past thousand years. No different from the King of Red Lions hiding his identity, so that he could roam the Great Sea anonymously without drawing attention to those he was seeking to find. My ancestor had his reasons, no one has the right to question them, especially when you consider that he would have lived his life under constant scrutiny if people had known who he was. The slightest slip could have given him away and endangered his family. In the end he told only one person, the queen he had known since she was a ten year old princess. Someone who knew all to well the dangers of being so well known." Link backed off a step. He had been unconsciously leaning towards her as what had started as a simple reasoning had instead led to him berating her. He looked away, ashamed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that..."

Saria, looked at him again. This time not as a stranger, or as the Hero of Time's descendant, but instead she looked at him as a person. She saw then that he was a young man who already had a great deal on his shoulders. What he carried, was his to know unless he told her, though she guessed that his heritage was a part of it and that she had brought it to the forefront of his mind. She walked over to him, her head just short of his shoulder, and placed a hand on his arm.

"You're right, he would have had his reasons and as one who called him a close friend I won't question them. I still remember the day I gave him that ocarina, I promised him that we'd always be friends, and I mean that even now. Even though he's gone he will always be my friend... and so will I to his descendants." Link glanced at her, surprised. "As a friend, I won't pressure you for answers. If there's something you want to tell me when you're ready, I'll wait until you are."

Navi felt Link relax, and with a giggle she fluttered over and landed on Saria's shoulder.

"We have a lot of catching up to do Saria. I haven't seen you since Link and I parted ways when he left Hyrule. Even when he came back after we met up again, I agreed to his staying hidden and hid myself as well. When he died I..."

Link touched Navi gently on the cheek before turning to Saria.

"Navi left our family when he died, and then isolated herself from the other Forest Fairies. It was only when they reawakened a few weeks ago that I came across her by chance. The Deku Tree explained to me who she was and after I talked with her she came back to us again."

Saria looked up at him.

"Do you know anything about why the land has risen? If you've spent a lot of time travelling you might have seen something."

Link shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I probably know about as much as you do. I spoke to Makar a couple of weeks ago and he didn't know much either, nor did any of the Great Guardians."

Saria sighed.

"I met him yesterday, and you're right he didn't know much. Though when the fact that the queen being out in the open was safe was mentioned and we questioned it, he and Medli became evasive and flew off without explaining _why_ it was safe."

Link cleared his throat uncomfortably, she looked at him puzzled. Seeing this, Link spoke hastily.

"I know why it's safe, but if they don't think it's the right time to tell you then I'm not going to go over their heads."

Saria looked a little annoyed.

"So once again I meet someone who knows something and they refuse to tell me. All this is really starting to turn into a big headache." Link started to apologise, but Saria stopped him. "Oh I'm not blaming you, your staying silent about it because they have is fine. It just frustrates me that so much has happened, and my fellow sages and I know so little. How can we reassure the people when we ourselves know nothing?"

Darthan finally recovered enough to speak.

"If it's any consolation, my Lady, if the gods are involved as it is obvious that they are to me, there must be a reason and I'm sure we'll learn it eventually."

Link carefully put his ocarina back into his bag before removing the straps and repositioning them in a way that clearly baffled Gerril.

"Why are you doing that? How are you supposed to carry it with the straps like that?"

Link hoisted his bag up and fastened the straps around his waist.

"That answer your question?" Gerril still looked puzzled. Link explained. "I need to get back to the queen as fast as I can, and that means getting back to my ship as soon a possible. I've put my bag round my waist because I can't fly when it's on my back. The air around here has started to stabilise which means it's safe for me to travel that way now." Gerril and Darthan were looking at him like he was crazy, Saria looked only mildly surprised. Seeing that the sage had guessed about his wings and probably about where he had got them, Link turned to the still puzzled men. He held up and arm and pointed to the feathers that hung from it like a long sleeve. "You didn't really think I had a liking for flared sleeves when I'm a sailor, did you?"

With a flick he opened up his wing, the golden feathers glowing in the light from the sun. Saria giggled.

"Well why don't you get going, I'll explain what I know to these two."

Link smiled in return, before launching himself into the air.

"See you around, Saria, I'd like the chance to talk about my ancestor with you when we get the chance."

She looked on as he flew away.

"I'd like that too."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The old man in his orange robes raised his hand for what seemed like the thousandth time and tried to open the doors that led to the other temples. Once again he got no response. With a sigh, Rauru, Sage of the Light Temple, looked around at the empty Chamber of Sages that had effectively become a prison for him.

"Goddesses of the Triforce, why have you kept me here? My fellows are out in the world, yet when we are separated from each other our power is diminished. I sense I am needed but I cannot help."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

From the Realm of the Gods, the Goddesses looked at the image of him before them. Nayru glanced sidelong at her siblings.

"He's right you know, he _is_ needed. But _we_ can't get him out, and without the Master Sword in their possession they can't reopen the way to the Sacred Realm." She paused thoughtfully. "However, it's possible for us to move non sages into the realm... The method we could use by doing that would only work one way though. Once out, Rauru won't be able to get back in until they find the Sword.

Farore looked at Nayru, incensed.

"You're not suggesting we use the 'connected powers' trick are you? The only mortals that can use _that_ are the Descendants."

Din sighed.

"None of us really like the idea, but rather than bicker about it, let's just use it."

Farore looked annoyed.

"Fine, but I'll be the one to do it." She raised her hand, and drew a symbol in the air. "This better not become complicated, having two stuck in the Sacred Realm instead of one will _not_ make me happy. Especially if one of them is a Descendant."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll tumbled out of her bed with a startled cry, her dream racing though her mind. She grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble furiously as her grandmother got out of her own bed and came over to see what was the matter. Aryll ignored her questions and continued to write, her speed seeming almost desperate. Only when she was writing the closing comments did she speak.

"Send this to Dad, tell the Rito Postman to take it _directly_."

Vallandra looked at her concerned.

"Did you have another of your dreams?"

Aryll kept writing.

"Yes, I have to hurry and get this down. Farore is going to..."

There was a flash of light and the sound of the pen dropping to the floor. When it cleared, Aryll was gone. All that remained was her almost finished letter and the ink splattered on the floor.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Rauru lowered his hand from yet another failed attempt at leaving and sighed. He was just about to exit the Chamber and head back into the main part of the Temple of Light when the strangest feeling came over him. Something was being pushed though into the Realm, and he could sense the power of a god doing the pushing.

"What in the name of the Triforce is going on now?"

There was a flash of light and a muffled shriek, followed by a thud. Rauru looked down to see a blond girl had been dropped in front of him in the middle of the Triforce symbol. The girl rubbed her now sore rear and grumbled.

"Sheesh, Farore, you pick me up with no advance notice and send me here, you could have at least been more careful in putting me down." The girl looked up at Rauru. "Hi, my name's Aryll and if my dream is right the Goddesses decided to use some archaic transport trick to get you out of here even though the Door is closed. However not much is going to happen until my Dad gets the letter I _just_ managed to get written down before they sent me here."

Rauru helped her to her feet, looking very bemused. As he did so he spotted her pendant.

"That symbol? Are you a descendant of the Hero of Time?"

Aryll grimaced.

"Yeah, and my family's inherent magic is why I was sent here. If my father or my brother focus on me they can pull me to them, that's how you can get out of here. They pull me out while I have hold of you and you get pulled out with me."

The Sage of Light mulled over what she has said. He looked at her.

"And how long do you think it will take for your letter to reach him?"

Aryll groaned.

"With the Rito Postal Service still detouring around the new continent, even if they fly the letter straight to Windfall and not via the sorting office, it will still take around four days."

Rauru looked around the empty Chamber, the only part of the temple that Aryll could enter.

"Four days..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well there you have it, the conclusion to Link and Saria meeting. Yes it's another cliffy type ending, what can I say? I like writing them.**


	34. Alone

**Alaia Skyhawk: I plotted a load of chapters out last night and well...**

**Writing Bug: WITE IT! (Grins)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: It's back... Aww man, I have 3 chapters to go before I get to the one I REALLY want to write.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**A line of '-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-' means a past scene. Only the 1st part of it is known to the characters.**

Chapter 33: Alone

There was a resounding thud as the thrashing figure fell to the floor, tangled in a mess of blankets.

"Aryll!"

Jolted awake by the fall, Eidan sat up, gasping. Something was wrong, he realised now that his children were always a faint echo in the back of his mind, only now Aryll wasn't there. He dragged himself to the window and looked out at the grey light of morning that was just beginning to drift over the town, searching the horizon as though he might find her there. Suddenly something brushed the edge of his awareness, his panic faded as a voice whispered in his mind.

_She's fine... She'll find her way back to you soon..._

He looked around in confusion.

"Who's there?"

The voice was gone, but its words remained. He sensed that it had spoken truthfully. His daughter was beyond his reach, but she was fine. He looked out the window once again and was shocked to find that the sun was now above the horizon. It had been false dawn when the voice spoke, and yet now the sun had risen... He had sat there listening to those few words and they had taken over an hour? Bewildered by what had happened, Eidan did the only thing he could. Get dressed and go meet Tetra for breakfast. He walked hesitantly to the drawing room of Tetra's apartments, the room that was now dominated by the map. When he entered he found her already sat at the small table by the fire. She saw the look on his face, her expression growing concerned.

"Is something wrong? You look pale."

He shook his head and looked at the fire.

"It's nothing... Just a bad dream..."

Tetra gave him a long look. She clearly wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?"

He sat himself at the table and began toying with a cup of fruit juice.

"I'm sure..."

Tetra frowned, but decided to let him be. She knew that he'd tell her when he felt ready to.

"If that's the case, let's finish our breakfast quickly. We still need to go through those reports the Rito sent us, and figure out the best places to put the roads through. Even if we can only manage a strip of bare earth for carts to run on, it'll be enough to get the extra supplies to the Sealed Towns. I won't let any of my people starve."

He watched as she cleared her plate and went over to her desk, piled high as it was with papers. His eyes drifted to the window once more.

_Aryll..._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The wind whistled through the rigging overhead as it sped the Red Lion towards the North Passage, across the area that was devoid of the Tower that now slept below once more. Navi was sat on the bow, watching occasional pieces of seaweed drift by, when she looked ahead and saw the remains of a wrecked raft right in their path. It was close, too close and she watched as it got closer, and closer, and closer...

"Why hasn't Link turned?" She looked behind her and saw that Link was staring blankly at the waves off to the left. "LINK!!"

She flew over to him and hit him hard enough to send him toppling off the bench, pulling the tiller with him. The ship swerved, narrowly missing the debris of the raft. Link went to glare at her, but stopped when he saw the logs drift past. He pulled himself back onto the bench and set them back on course. Navi landed on his shoulder, he put a hand up, letting her grip his finger.

"Sorry, I must have drifted off for a moment. Thanks for waking me up."

The little fairy put a hand on the side of his face, her expression worried.

"Are you ok? I've never seen you blank out like that before..."

Link sighed.

"I'm fine, it's just... I don't know I can't quite put my finger on it. It's almost like... I don't know!"

He shook his head in exasperation, and glared at the horizon. Navi left him be, contenting herself with leaning against his ear as the wind blew past.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll's startled gasp echoed in the chamber as she lifted her head from its resting place on the floor.

"Link?"

Rauru appeared, his expression puzzled.

"Is something wrong, Aryll?"

She pulled her knees under her and looked up at the sage.

"For a moment I though I heard my brother, Link. Something about thanking someone for waking him up..." Her eyes grew distant as she reached out for her family, then widened suddenly with surprised joy. "My brother! He's linked with me between the realms! I really did hear him!" She focused on him. "Link, it's me, Aryll. Can you hear me?"

She felt Link shift, he was puzzled.

_Navi, did you say something just now?_

There was a pause, as though he were listening to an answer. Aryll, clenched her hands as she strained towards him.

"Link, it's me!"

_It must have been the wind then..._

Aryll thumped her fist on the floor in frustration.

"Damn it! He must have linked without realising it. He has no idea what he's done, so he can't hear me clearly enough to know I'm really talking to him!"

Rauru, having heard only one side of the conversation, could only guess how frustrating this was for her. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Then I guess all you can do it keep trying. Maybe he'll pick out something you say and realise you're there."

She sighed.

"I guess that _is _all I can do. It's just I've never been so far from my family before... never felt so alone."

Then she reached out and began talking, about anything and everything that came to mind.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli looked down at the great waterfall from where she drifted on the wind high above. The nearby lake glistened, even though the veil of thick mist that rose from the gorge below. There behind that waterfall were her ancestor's people, and her distant relatives. Sage she might be, the though of meeting a cousin who was a queen was rather daunting for her. Lacking the nerve to enter openly, Medli changed into an orb of light and slipped past the guard in the tunnel behind the falling water. She flitted from hiding place to hiding place, making her way deeper into the city. It was shortly after she had skirted the perimeter of a huge chamber, floored with a lake supplied by myriad miniature waterfalls, that she sensed the Sage of Water nearby. She dashed the final part of her trip, stopping in an alcove behind her fellow sage.

Ruto glanced over her shoulder, giving Medli a small nod. Reassured, Medli reappeared, her unshod feet landing in water with a small splash. Medli looked down, and saw that the floor was covered by a few inches of it. Creeping forward, she moved alongside Ruto to get a better look at the room beyond her. The room was large, it's far end dominated by a throne made of many carved shells, so tightly fit together that it looked almost as if it were made of a single piece of stone. In that throne sat a Zoran woman of middling years, her violet eyes seemed to hold sparks as she ranted away about how it was only proper that her cousin's descendants belonged in the Domain, and that it was an insult that her ancestress said that they no longer did. The young Rito winced.

"Has she been going on like that for long?"

Ruto shrugged.

"Only since I told her about you two days ago."

Medli moved behind Ruto, so that she was out of line of sight of her relative.

"So what's her name? You mentioned it before but I was a little distracted."

Ruto turned slightly so that she could see Medli clearly.

"Her name is Latela, she became queen when she was nineteen. A little early perhaps, but she's done well by our people. As for why she's like this... The Royal family have always been a little touchy about Laruto's descendants. It's only now that we know what became of her, though I'm sure we'll never know what happened to her that day, after she vanished."

Medli looked thoughtful, before turning hopeful eyes on her distant cousin.

"Can you tell me what you know?"

Ruto nodded.

"I'll tell you..."

.~~~.

Joyful shrieks rang though the air as water droplets were flung through it to glisten like tiny gems. The five year old Zora Princess dashed around in the shallows at the edges of the island in the middle of Lake Hylia, as nearby her mother watched over her, closely guarded by two Zoran Warriors. Laruto sighed, contented, her daughter's laughter bringing a smile to her face.

"They never stay young long enough, do they?"

One of her guards shifted a little, though he never loosened his grip on his spear.

"I remember my son when he was her age... You're right, they never stay young long enough. One moment they're small enough to hold in your arms and the next they're starting a family of their own."

She moved her feet a little, causing tiny ripples to drift into the waves from her perch on the shore.

"I guess all parents feel like that, the time of childhood is so short that we have to cherish every moment of it we get to spend with them."

The guard chuckled.

"Then why don't you join her, Princess. There aren't any fussy advisors here to tell you off for not behaving like a lady."

Laruto gave him a wry smile.

"You're right, there isn't."

With a laugh she dove into the water and came up from below her daughter, catching her giggling child and tickling her.

"Mommy! Stop it!" Laruto set her daughter down. The moment she was free she dove into the water and swam ahead. "Come see what I found!"

Laruto followed her, beaming with delight when her daughter showed her the shell she'd just found.

"Why don't we see if we can find some more. Then I can make you a necklace when we get home. Would you like that, Ariani?"

Ariani hugged her mother tight and swam down the steep sides of the lake looking for more shells.

"Let's see who can find the most!"

She was just about to follow when she froze, startled.

**Laruto...**

She looked all around, there was no one near and the guards were still up on shore.

"Who's there?"

**Laruto, you are needed... Come to me, I have a task for you...**

The voice was compelling, and she found herself moving to the far side of the lake where the carefully shielded underground river left it. She turned to go back, it was dangerous here, the only thing that stopped unwary swimmers from being dragged into the stream were the spells that covered the opening.

**Laruto... Do not be afraid...**

She moved closer to the river, close enough that without the spells she would have been pulled in. She looked at them as they glowed faint silver in the ripples of light from above. Suddenly, the sliver light went out. She was caught by the current and pulled into the opening. She swam for all she was worth, straining for the light of the surface. The spells reappeared, but it was too late for her, she was already past them. She screamed as she was dragged away.

"_ARIANI!!_"

Ariani, heard her faint cry and began calling for her. She surfaced, the guards leaping into the lake at her cries.

"_Mommy?! Mommy, where are you?! Don't leave me alone! MOMMY!_"

A cluster of shells dropped from her fingers... drifting into the shadows at the bottom of the lake.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

She clung to a rock at the edge of the pool, high above her the water poured from the cliff face to fall into it like the tears that fell from her eyes. She had no idea where she was, no one knew where the river went, for none who entered it ever returned. The cries of her daughter haunted her, they were the last thing she had heard before the torrent of water had drowned out all else. And so she sat there, broken...

**Laruto... You **_**must**_** come...**

She lurched to her feet, her eyes filled with anger.

"WHY? _Why did you take me away from her?!_"

Her shout echoed in the narrow valley, the first 'why' ringing from the sides of it like a taunt. The voice cut through it, calm and assured.

**Laruto, you are the only one who can do what is needed... The world needs to be protected... not just for your daughter, but for all people... They need you...**

She bit down on her lip, taking a hesitant step forward.

"What... What do I have to do?"

**Follow the river... When you reach where it forks you must climb the west side and descend into the valley beyond. There you will find a stream, follow it upriver until you reach the place where it leaps from the forest above. From there you will see a mountain, go to it...**

There was nothing else left for her, she could not go back, and so she followed the river. Day after day she followed it until it was rent in two by a vast pinnacle. She headed west, the brutal climb made possible for her only by the occasional springs that dotted the slope and allowed her to quench her thirst and ease her dry and cracked skin. The valley on the other side was moist with dew from the mist trapped within, the droplets reviving her, giving her the strength to continue. Once again she followed the flowing water, until finally, many days later, she reached vast cave, ringed above by trees, from the edge of which the stream plummeted to the pool below. As she looked up, she saw it. The mountain, visible through the only gap in the ring of trees above. She began to climb, the walls providing a surprising number of handholds. When she reached the top, she walked through the trees until she found herself in a small clearing. At its far side she saw a great door, in front of that door was a man holding something that shone gold in the sunlight.

"Hello, Laruto. I am Kaiayn, the Sage of Courage. Now is your time to awaken, Sage of Earth."

She approached him, uncertain.

"What is a Sage?"

His eyes were reassuring.

"A Sage is one chosen to serve a temple. The Temples are sources of protection for the lands around them. This temple, and its counterpart however are different. Their power serves to protect _all_ the lands, through a single very important item." He handed her the object in his hands. "Take this, this is the Earth God's Harp, it is a tool that will carry your prayers to the Gods of Earth. You will then take the power they send to you and infuse it into the item I spoke of."

She looked at the golden harp in her hands.

"But what do I play on it? What song will carry my prayers to them?"

He smiled.

"The song that lies in your heart, and your heart alone. That is why you are the one needed here." He parted the front of his silver robes, revealing the scabbard hidden beneath. From it he drew a sword of blue and silver. "Behold the Master Sword, that which will be known as the Blade of Evil's Bane. The Sage of Wind has already infused the essence of the power to repel evil into it, but it needs the raw energy you can send to it for that light to shine forth." He looked into her eyes. "Now, play the song you hear in your heart, Laruto."

She moved the harp to the crook of her arm, the fingers of her right hand resting lightly on the strings. After a moment she began to play, the lilting notes of the melody making the sword resonate in Kaiayn's hand. He lifted it to the sky as her song reached a triumphant conclusion... and white light seared forth from the blade of the now awakened... Master Sword...

.~~~.

Medli looked at her harp, the harp that had first been played by Laruto all those years ago.

"How it must have hurt her, to be torn away from her daughter like that... But still she carried on and did what she was called on to do. Without her sacrifice, the world would have been conquered by evil many times over by now, and we would not be here today... And when I think about how she could vanish like that, with two guards nearby, I guess I can understand why Latela is so protective. It would have been a fierce blow for a new race to lose one of their princesses like that."

Ruto's eyes became distant.

"From what I know, her sister Rutale was devastated. She never really recovered from losing Laruto, and her daughter became the youngest queen to ever rule our people, ascending to the throne when she was only fifteen. I think that that is the main reason Ariani and her descendants have been so closely protected. Almost as if the family feared that losing them would cause the main line to falter the way Rutale did." She glanced over at the throne, Latela had stopped her current rant and was now sitting there glaring at the nearest guard, who looked very uncomfortable. "Perhaps this would be a good time to introduce you." She then muttered in an undertone. "Besides, if she hears the reasons for you not staying here from _you_, then she might finally shut up about it."

Medli peered cautiously around Ruto.

"You might as well." She shrugged. "It's not like she can keep me here by force anyway. I'll stay back here while you announce me, if I make a bit of an entrance it might throw her off guard."

Ruto grinned as Medli used a touch of magic to clothe herself in her 'Sage' robes, golden headdress included.

"Very nice, I'll try to do your outfit justice." Ruto strode out into the middle of the throne room and faced her descendant. Unfazed by the glare she was receiving. "Queen Latela, I have good news for you. It seems I now can have the pleasure of introducing our long separated cousin to you. She arrived a few minutes ago, and we've just been clearing up a few minor details before I announced her."

Latela looked fit to explode as she tried to compose herself. Medli had to admit she did quite a good job of it. Though she couldn't help thinking that it was probably due to her cousin having had a lot of practice.

"I've received no word that we had a visitor. If she is truly here then how did she enter the Domain?"

Ruto's face remained composed and calm, with not a trace of amusement on her face, though Medli was sure she was enjoying this all too much.

"My dear descendant, surely you remember me telling you that our dear cousin is a sage. She has other means of entering the Domain besides the front door." She stepped aside and held an arm out in the direction of the alcove. "Enough of this minor detail for now, it's not polite for us to keep such an important guest waiting."

Medli took this as her cue and walked slowly and deliberately to the centre of the room to stand a short distance in front of where Ruto had placed herself. She inclined her head politely to her gawking cousin, barely keeping a straight face. Maybe Latela wasn't the only one with a lot of practice.

"Cousin, it is a pleasure to meet you, and I'm sure you have a great many questions about what has happened among those sent to the mountain tops. Do not be put off by my appearance, though the Rito may have exchanged fins for feathers and sea for sky, deep down the morals and honour of our long separated groups remain the same."

Latela, continued to stare. Her hands twitching on the armrests of her throne.

"How could such a transformation come about in so short a time? Lady Ruto said that our people on the surface have been like this for over five hundred years, that leaves only five hundred for the change to happen."

Medli rested her fingers on the strings of her harp where she began to discretely draw a faint melody from them, her eyes meeting Latela's head on.

"It was the power of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky. Lord Valoo took our people under his protection. The sea was in turmoil, there were no fish to catch. He taught us to survive in a new way, and when we were ready granted us the power of flight. Since then our people have been the force that allowed the scattered settlements of the Great Sea to remain unified despite the distances. While the fact that we are now two distinctly different races may unnerve you, in truth we are honoured by the gift that Lord Valoo has given us, as it has allowed us to help hold the people of the Great Sea, and now the Sealed Ones as well, together."

Ruto looked around, confused. All around the room, Zoras who had stepped back in shock were now murmuring at how wise this long lost relative of their people was. The greatest change however was Latela's. The tension had left her, her anger had vanished, and now she looked at Medli with eyes that were a little bewildered, but still... accepting. Latela rose from her throne and stepped forward to stand beside the two sages.

"You are right, and in my recent anger and confusion I have been a fool." She smiled, a kind smile that until a moment ago Ruto would never have expected to see on her face. "I am honoured to call you cousin, Lady Medli. You will always be welcome here when you come to visit."

Medli smiled in return.

"As you and the other Zoras will always be welcome at Dragon Roost Island. May the ties between our tribes remain ever strong." She glanced at Ruto before looking at the Zoran Queen once more. "Now if you will excuse us, Lady Ruto and I have much we need to discuss."

Latela nodded in understanding.

"By all means, do not let me keep you from your duties."

She turned and went back to her throne, as Medli lightly gripped Ruto's arm and guided her out of the room. As soon as they were out of earshot, the Water Sage began to talk furtively.

"How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it. Latela is like a kettle permanently on the boil, she never calms down."

Medli gave Ruto a wry look.

"The power of the heart can be a wonderful thing, it can give people the strength to face anything and accept anyone. All I did was call to her inner heart, and that of those around her, to give them all the confidence to accept things without constantly worrying about them. To put it in short, I've just cured the Zoras of their need for their security blanket, otherwise known as my bloodline."

Ruto stood there for several second, stunned by what Medli had just said. Suddenly she burst out laughing.

"You really are something, Medli. I thought all my centuries of experience meant I wouldn't be surprised by people anymore, but it looks like I was wrong."

Medli giggled.

"You'd better remember that, Ruto, because I think I still have a fair few surprises left in store for you."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: 1 chapter down, 2 to go. All hail the Writing Bug!**


	35. Unexpected Passengers

**Alaia Skyhawk: Chapter 35! GO WRITING BUG, GO!**

**Writing Bug: (Straps on jet pack)**

**Alaia Skyhawk: (presses launch button) GO BUGGIE!!**

**(A.N: Yes I'm having one of my random days)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 35: Unexpected Passengers

"C'mon, Link! Hear me you jerk!"

Aryll sat in the middle of the platform, in the centre of the empty space that made up most of the Chamber of Sages. She had talked about boats. She had talked about seabirds. She had talked about their neighbours, and everything else she could think of. And now after three days of trying to catch Link's attention, she had given up when she realised she was starting to repeat herself. Rauru couldn't exactly help, all he had managed to do with his own attempts at conversation was remind her she was stuck on a single platform in the Sacred Realm.

"..."

Deciding to remain silent this time, he looked on as Aryll produced a rather tired looking ball from one of her pockets. She began to bounce it on the floor in front of her, the dull thud at least giving her something to listen to. Suddenly she sneezed, the ball slipping from her grip and bouncing over the edge. She peered over and watched it disappear into the shadows below.

"...crud." She looked around the chamber again. "Link..." She gripped her hair. "Arrrggg, stupid brother!"

In a fit of boredom mixed with frustration, Aryll hit her head off the floor several times before stopping and muttering darkly under her breath. She then began to curse at the top of her voice as a bemused Sage of Light looked on...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

On the Red Lion, Link had just steered the ship onto a course that would take it though the final part of the Passage. Having done that he picked up the water flask from under the tiller bench and just as he started taking a drink, a string of the foulest language known to sailors, spoken by a very familiar voice, assailed his ears. He spluttered, spraying water across the deck, and automatically told the culprit off.

"Aryll, if Grandma heard you saying that she's have you eating soap for a week!"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll opened her eyes in surprise and sat up.

"Huh? You heard that?"

She sensed her brother's confusion.

_What the heck?_

A huge grin began to spread over Aryll's face, and she leapt to her feet with a triumphant yell.

"Woo hoo! Now I can get out of here!" She paused thoughtfully. "I guess Dad won't need that letter after all."

Link was still puzzled.

_Aryll... Why can I hear you, and what the heck are you talking about?_

Aryll began to explain enthusiastically, with a still bemused Rauru listening to the only side of the conversation he could hear.

"Well you see, Link, this is what's going on. Rauru, the Sage of Light, is stuck in the Sacred Realm. The Door is closed, he can't get out, and the other sages can't get in. Our family has the ability to talk across realms, it's to do with our bloodline or something, I not really sure, my dream vision wasn't all that specific. Anyway because of it, you can get me out of here. So that's how the gods decided to get Rauru out of the Sacred Realm too. They pushed me into the Realm, since they could do that, and now...

Link interrupted her.

_I have to strengthen my link to you and focus my mind on where I want you to be. To get Rauru out, I also have to picture you as having a person next to you that has to _stay_ next to you. Once I've done that I send some of my magic to you and then call it back, because you're my sister you'll get carried along with it, Rauru will get dragged along behind._

Aryll blinked, baffled.

"How did you know that? I only learnt it from my dream vision."

She felt him shrug.

_I don't know, I just did... _He paused. _O-kay, Navi is looking at me like I'm insane. I'd better get you two out before she really starts to think I've lost my mind._

Aryll stood up and grabbed the cuff of Rauru's left sleeve, much to his surprise.

"We're ready at this end."

Link began to mutter to himself as he coordinated what he had to do. After a few seconds she felt him strengthen the link between them and also picked up his visualisation of a person next to her. A pulse of power headed her way, she felt it hit her end of the link but instead of bouncing back it splintered and dissipated around her like a miniature storm. Rauru jumped as the bolts of energy startled him.

_Sorry, I got the timing wrong... I'll try again._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link frowned in concentration as Navi fluttered in front of him, her face saying she thought he had completely lost it. He sent another pulse of power, but just as he did, Navi flew right into his face. He shouted in surprise.

"Navi! Don't do that, I'm trying to concentrate! I'm trying to get Aryll and Rauru out of the Sacred Realm!"

He checked his link and flinched when he saw how much power he'd just sent.

_Link, are you trying to give us a permanent bad hair day?! That blast made both mine and Rauru's hair stand on end!_

Link grimaced, as it became Navi's turn to look baffled.

"Sorry, Sis." He looked at Navi. "Please Navi, stay back until I'm done. Think I'm crazy all you like, just don't distract me."

He reached out again, only this time he called the power back to soon, it never reached her. After several more misfires, Aryll was fit to scream, he was sure he had it right this time though. He sent the power and called it back the instant it reached his sister. Suddenly he sensed he had something solid heading his way and immediately pictured his sister on the deck in front of him, a moment later his image was shattered as the strange symbol he had seen in his dream so many weeks ago flashed before his eyes. Instead of appearing in the middle of the deck, Aryll and Rauru appeared out of thin air just off to his right... and several feet up. They fell, Rauru landed on the ship's rail and managed to jump to the side and onto the deck. Aryll wasn't so lucky, she landed in the water.

Rauru used his power and picked her up out of the sea, her curses splitting the air. He set her, dripping wet, on the deck next to him. Without a moment's notice she got up and strode over to her brother and kicked him in the shins.

"'Just the wind', huh? You shrug me off as 'just the wind' for _three days?_"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Nayru chuckled as she and her sisters looked on at the 'happy reunion'.

"Well, that turned out alright, though it seems his sister isn't too pleased it took him three days to notice her."

Din looked thoughtful.

"It puzzles me how he knew what to do though... Aryll only learned because our actions trigger her dream visions, and she learnt from it from one of them. Link however seemed to instinctively know already."

Farore looked on at her chosen.

"It looks like he has a lot of untapped potential." She called up the Triforce of Courage, gazing at it as she continued. "It's a pity he no longer has this, it would be interesting to see how far his potential would take him."

Din smiled.

"Well we'll just have to do something about that then..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Eidan was out in the courtyard watching the sun set when the watchman suddenly called the alarm.

"Rito heading for the compound! He looks like he's in a hurry."

He dashed out onto the pier, and immediately saw the Rito change direction and head for him. The young man landed on the pier in an exhausted heap before pulling a letter out of his bag.

"A message... for you... from your daughter. She... vanished into thin air... three days ago while writing this. Vallandra said she said something... about Farore."

Eidan grabbed the letter and hurriedly opened it, the words inside causing his eyes to widen.

_'Dad, I've got very little time to write this. Farore is sending me into the Sacred Realm, Rauru is stuck in there because the door between realms is closed. She can send me in because I'm mortal and not a sage. She's picked me because members of our family are connected somehow, you or Link can pull me out of the Sacred Realm and Rauru will be pulled with me if I have hold of him. To call out to me you need to reach out with your mind, picture me and focus on me hearing you. It might take you a few tries but don't give up, Dad, I know you ca'_

The letter ended with a trail of ink that went to the edge of the page. Eidan read it through several more times as Niko, who was on the compound gate once again, tended to the young Rito who had brought the message. He gripped the letter and did as she had told him to do, reaching out to that place in his mind where she had always been an echo.

_Aryll?_

All he heard was silence, and yet for some reason he was sure he had reached her on that first try. He tried again, this time getting a strange rattling noise in return. Baffled, he went to try a third time.

_Don't bother, Dad, she's fast asleep... and snoring her head off if you're wondering what the weird noise is. She's broadcasting while she sleeps, and I can't shut her snoring out... It's in my head... At least she's not kicking me in the shins now though._

Eidan nearly stumbled backwards, shocked by hearing his son's voice in his head.

_Link?_

He heard a faint chuckle.

_Yeah, consider yourself lucky. It turns out that I linked with her not long after Farore dumped her in the Sacred Realm, but I didn't notice her talking to me until a few hours ago when she started swearing in frustration. I'm guessing you've got her letter now. Well just to let you know, she and Rauru are out of the Realm and are on the Red Lion, and Aryll kicked me in the shins the moment she saw me. Anyway, I'm heading for Windfall now and should be there by tomorrow afternoon if the wind holds... though given Aryll's mood with me, I might cheat and use the Windwaker to make _sure _it holds._

Eidan relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping his lips, it was then that Tetra hurried out onto the pier.

"Eidan, what is it? What did the letter say?"

He turned and gave her a bemused look.

"Nothing that's important now, Link's just told me that Aryll is safe and so is Rauru, the Sage of Light. Apparently the goddesses decided to use my family as transport to get him out of the Sacred Realm. Link connected to her by accident though and he got her and Rauru out a few hours ago." He looked in the direction of the still panting Rito. "Just don't tell him, I think it will be better that he thinks the letter was needed and hasn't gone to waste."

Tetra looked baffled.

"Link told you?"

Eidan nodded and handed the letter to her, Tetra's expression changed to one of understanding as she finished reading it. After a moment's though, she handed it back to him.

"I agree... Besides I've already sent the resident messenger to Dragon Roost to let them know. If anyone asks, you contacted Link and you worked together to get her out, it's just that Link being her brother meant she went to his location instead."

Eidan nodded.

"It makes sense, though we'll tell the Sages the truth should they ask."

Tetra gave a short laugh.

"As they undoubtedly will."

_You know, Dad... Aryll isn't the only one who needs to stop transmitting... I can hear your half of the conversation, to who I'm guessing is Tetra. Aryll's snoring is bad enough, can you please let me try and get some sleep?_

Eidan hastily closed his link to his son and daughter, smiling wryly at Tetra's confused expression.

"This is going to take some getting used to."

One corner of her mouth lifted in a return smile.

"I'm sure..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: 2 down, 1 to go! (Writing Bug flies past on jet pack) MUST WRITE NEXT ONE!**


	36. Falling Stars

**Alaia Skyhawk: Woo Hoo! (Writing Bug picks up Author while flying past) Yay! GO BUGGIE!!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 36: Falling Stars

The sun was nearing the horizon, its light staining the island red like the dying embers of a fire. The people were heading back to their homes, a long day's work behind them, as the small ship pulled up to the pier outside the Royal Compound. Three figures, two with blond hair and one with hair of silver white, disembarked and were immediately admitted through the gate into the courtyard. Inside they were met by two people, one of whom was very happy to see them.

"Dad!"

Aryll raced over to her father, who in turn was running to her as fast as his legs would take him. When they reached each other he held her close, almost as if he couldn't quite believe she was there.

"Aryll, are you ok?"

She hugged him even tighter.

"I'm fine, Dad. Big Brother got me out of there, even if it took him three days to notice me."

Link winced.

"Actually it was nearly four days if you want to be completely honest."

Aryll looked over her shoulder at her brother and giggled, her amusement showing she had forgiven him. Meanwhile, Tetra had come over and had caught Rauru's attention. He took one look at her and bowed, not needing an introduction to recognise her. Such was her resemblance to her ancestor.

"Queen Zyara, it is an honour to meet you. Aryll spoke very highly of you during her time in the Sacred Realm."

Tetra blushed a little, still uncomfortable with being called Queen, even now.

"There's no need for you to call me Queen unless it's a formal occasion. If you insist on calling my by a title the rest of the time, Lady Tetra is fine."

Rauru smiled, his face looking more like that a kindly old grandfather than the oldest and wisest of the Sages of the Sacred Realm.

"As you wish, Lady Tetra." He glanced at the reunited family. "I must say though, I'm surprised to see them here. None of the Sages knew of their family's return to Hyrule, though Link has since explained to me the circumstances. I'm also surprised by the abilities that tie them together... Then again, when I knew the Hero of Time he was the only member of his family, and so would never have known about those abilities himself... It would seem it was more than fate that made him destined to be the Hero of Time."

Tetra looked on as Aryll and Link began to chat with their father.

"You may be right... Aryll has had visions ever since all that's happened lately started. To my knowledge, Link has had at least one vision as well. It's almost as if every time the gods do something to interfere down here, members of their family can sense it on a level that is beyond the rest of us."

Rauru looked at the family thoughtfully.

"What ever it is, whether or not we come to understand exactly why is down to fate." He turned back to Tetra. "Perhaps we can go inside and discuss recent events further. I'd also like to tell you that I've contacted my fellow sages and after they have cleared up their current tasks they will be coming here to hear of these things as well. Ruto also told me that Medli is with her and that the Earth Sage has contacted Makar who will be coming too. As far as I can estimate, they will all be here by late afternoon tomorrow."

Tetra grimaced.

"So I'm going to have eight sages under my roof... though at least two of them can help me explain to the rest of you what has happened over these past few years." She gestured to the open door into the building. "I'll show you to what has now been dubbed the 'Map Room'. It _was_ the drawing room of my apartments, but has since been overrun with papers and as you might guess, a large map."

Rauru chuckled at her comment as he followed her, while on the other side of the courtyard, Link and his family were still talking.

"I still can't understand why we keep getting tangled up in all that's happening. First me having to face Ganondorf, then all the visions that have been plaguing Aryll, Aryll being sent into the Sacred Realm, and now all these weird abilities we're finding out we have. Why can't we just be normal and left alone for a change?"

Eidan shrugged.

"Who knows... but we might as well get used to it, because it likely that strange things will _keep_ happening." He scowled. " Though if that dammed Goddess Farore ever pulls a stunt like that again with any of my family, she's going to get a piece of my mind even if I have to drag her out of the Realm of the Gods to do it."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three sisters flinched as the irate father's words reached their ears, Farore looking a little more uncomfortable than her siblings.

"Well we've certainly upset him, I think we'd better tone down any further interference with the Descendants from now on."

Din and Nayru nodded in agreement, after which Din called up the Triforce of Power.

"We still have the current problem to deal with. We can't send two parts of the Triforce back and not the third. We need to decide on who will be the new Keeper of the Triforce of Power, a difficult decision since we have to be sure that the recipient won't be tempted to turn to evil."

The three of them stood silent, their thoughts turning to Ganondorf and the havoc he had wreaked on Hyrule. Nayru sighed and called up an image of the lands below.

"Well let's start with what races are down there, are there any that are more resistant to evil inclinations than the rest?"

Farore shook her head.

"In general terms, no. When we created the world me made a point of making all the races equal in that respect."

Nayru frowned.

"Well are there any that are made more resistant by forces other than us?"

Din brought a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful.

"All of the races have developed a strong sense of right and wrong, and have a determination to do good..." She lowered her hand. "There _are_ two races that have an advantage though, an additional source of resistance."

Nayru and Farore looked at their sister, eyes widened in understanding.

"Of course! In fact, both of those races are _immune_ to corruption, someone from among those would be perfect."

Din turned to the image.

"But who from among them do we pick? It needs to be someone who understands the _responsibilities_ of having power, and how important it is to use that power wisely."

She began to call up the images of all the possible candidates, her sisters looking on as person after person was shown. She was about halfway through all of them when Nayru made her stop.

"I'd say _they_ would be perfect, taught to know power and its responsibilities... Young enough and flexible enough to adapt to the change in circumstances that will come from their having the Triforce of Power."

Farore looked at Din as the goddess considered the person shown before her.

"The choice is yours, Sister."

After several moments, Din turned to her siblings and held up the Triforce of Power.

"It has been over four years since the sacred triangles returned to us. Now it is time to send them back... to their Keepers... Old and New."

Each of the sisters held out their pieces of the Triforce, needing no words to know that they were in agreement, and thus in a flash of intense light... the triangles vanished...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The sun was just past its zenith when the Great Guardian on the mountain top called out in alarm. In a great flash of light a golden comet had appeared overhead, it's fiery brilliance like a second sun. As the people of Dragon Roost looked on, the comet split into three distinct shards of light that streaked across the sky like falling stars. And as the fragments faded into the distance, they could just make out that one of them fell away from the others, to drop towards the open sea on the path to Windfall...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The courtyard of the Royal Compound on Windfall was a bustle of activity, all morning the small number of servants had been cleaning the place from floors to ceilings, despite Rauru's assurances that the Sages where hardly going to be bothered by how the place looked. He and Tetra, who had agreed with him, had been politely ignored and so the cleaning frenzy had commenced. It was only now, as they waited in the courtyard for the other sages to arrive, that the servants disappeared back inside to resume what ever takes they undertook normally, leaving the courtyard silent but for the flap of pennants in the wind.

A streak of amber struck the stone that paved the courtyard, the guards jumping in surprise, spears raised until they saw the Sage of Light welcome the figure that had appeared when the light faded. Nabouru smiled and rushed over to hug him.

"Rauru, we've been worried about you. Ever since we awakened we've been unable to enter the Sacred Realm."

Rauru sighed.

"And now that fate has in turn freed me from the prison that the Realm had become to me, I too can no longer enter. It would seem that, for now, the five of you have only the core power of your temples to call on, the deeper essence of the force each temple governs is inaccessible to you as long as our Doors are closed... In my case I am now cut off from my temple completely, I have only my own innate power to call on now."

Nabouru looked at him with concern.

"Do not worry, Rauru. You are welcome to stay at any of our temples until the Sacred Realm is no longer sealed to us."

The guards once again jumped in alarm as three more streaks of light descended on the courtyard, this time green, blue and red-brown. Saria and Ruto rushed to Rauru as Nabouru had done, Medli looking on before strolling over to where Link and the others were standing.

"Five down, three to go... I'm glad I wasn't the last to arrive."

One of the guards, who was now looking at the sky so as not to be caught off guard again, called out.

"Two more lights on the horizon!"

They all looked up, the sages suddenly frowning in puzzlement. Ruto spoke.

"Those are _not_ sages... the only sage whose power is golden is Rauru's and he's standing right here..."

Tetra and Link looked at each other, and then at the golden lights. Link spoke in an aside to her.

"I get the distinct feeling that you and I should brace ourselves... If those are what I think they are..."

Tetra didn't get a chance to answer as the lights plummeted into the courtyard. Energy crackled everywhere as Link and Tetra were sent skidding across the ground to end up colliding with the western wall. Aryll dashed to her brother's side as he brought a hand up to his pounding head, Tetra pulled herself to her feet.

"Oww..."

She looked down at Link and offered him a hand, he accepted her help and managed to stand up, though he was a shaky as she was. He chuckled weakly.

"I was right, it _was_ what I though it was."

There was a unanimous puzzled murmur from all the sages present, along with Link's family. Tetra smiled wryly.

"Now this is really starting to annoy me... Why can't the gods stop complicating things?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Zips past with Writing Bug) YAY!**


	37. Pursuit of Power

**Alaia Skyhawk: Woo Hoo! It's the chapter I really want to write. GO GO GO GO GO!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 37: Pursuit of Power

Wings beat strongly against the wind, carrying the young Rito towards the island of Windfall. Upon the arrival of the messenger from the Queen, he had been sent to represent the Chieftain should an important meeting arise from the direct letter that had been carried from Outset. The sun was just past its zenith, the air was warm and calm, scattered with thermals that made flying easy. The young Rito glanced at the sky as suddenly two shards of light shot overhead. Moments later he was struck by a freak wind and sent tumbling towards the sea. In a frantic burst of effort, he managed to pull up before striking the waves, a spray of water sent up by his passage so close to the surface. Shaken by his sudden fall, the Rito resumed his journey to Windfall at a greater speed, though his flight wavered as the shock of his fall unsteadied him...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Two orbs of light trailed across the sky from the direction of Death Mountain. Red and deep purple, their colours indicating that the Sages of Fire and Shadow were now making their way to meet up with the rest of their fellow sages on Windfall. The news from Rauru that he had in fact been locked inside the Realm until released by some strange instance involving the Hero of Time's descendants, had left them both worried and curious, and with a number of questions they would like to have answered.

A silent shockwave washed over them, making them halt in surprise. They searched around trying to find the source.

"Impa, can you sense anything? The energy patterns around here have been disrupted by the shockwave, I can't make anything out."

Impa reached out, her greater experience at detecting the unseen allowing her to make better sense of the area around them.

"A tremendous source of magic has just passed near here, I can almost make it out... it..." Her panicked gasp split the air. "_The Triforce of Power!_"

Darunia began to look around frantically, searching.

"Why would Ganondorf pass through here? There's nothing out here for him to influence."

Impa continued to scan their surroundings, her pace frantic as she searched. Suddenly she froze.

"There! To the north! It's a Rito and they're flying erratically, I can sense the power of the Triforce clinging to them. Ganondorf must have used it to take control of them... That Rito is heading for _Windfall!_"

Darunia shot off in the direction of the distant Rito, Impa close behind.

"We have to catch that Rito! Until Ganondorf releases them we _cannot_ allow them to reach Windfall! Who knows what will happen to the island or the Queen if they reach it..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The young Rito continued to fly towards Windfall, still shaken from his fall. He was halfway between Windfall and Pawprint Island when the strangest feeling came over him. He looked around a little, puzzled.

"It's almost like the feeling when a Kargorock is swooping down on you from behin..." He suddenly looked over his shoulder and saw two orbs of light streaking towards him. "AHHH!"

He folded his wings and plummeted, causing them to shoot right over the top of him. They came around again, each from a different direction, but once again the young Rito dodged them at the last moment. Again and again they came at him, but years of practice, dodging flocks of Kargorocks around the north side of Dragon Roost, had taught him how to stay out of reach of multiple attackers. Realising that if they were to catch him they would need help, Impa and Darunia called out to their fellow sages on Windfall.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Silence reigned in the courtyard, the last of the residual power dissipating in tiny sparks all around them. The sages looked at the two shaken youths, confused about what had just happened. Rauru gazed at Link and Tetra, voicing the question that was on all their minds.

"What just happened here?"

Tetra smiled wryly and held her right hand out before her. Golden light flared, the Triforce of Wisdom appearing in her palm.

"The Triforce has returned to us... Four y..."

A strident mental shout from Darunia split the air, so forceful that even the none-sages present in the courtyard could hear it.

"Impa and I have found a Rito possessed by the Triforce of Power! He's heading for Windfall and he's too agile for us to catch alone! We can't let him reach the island so long as Ganondorf has control of him!"

Without hesitation, and before letting Tetra finish what she was saying, Rauru, Saria, Ruto and Nabouru shot out of the courtyard and headed east. Medli shouted after them.

"Wait!" She turned to Link and the others, her expression confused. "It can't be Ganondorf, he's dead... It could only mean..."

Her eyes widened and she looked at the Triforce of Wisdom in Tetra's hand. Tetra's expression turned to realisation.

"That Rito has the Triforce of Power! Go! Help him!"

Medli launched herself into the air, Link following after her. As she turned into an orb of light he called out.

"You go on ahead! I'll catch up!"

As the two of them disappeared into the distance, Tetra, Eidan and Aryll could do nothing but watch.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A cheerful tune drifted on the wind as Makar hummed away to himself to while away the time spent travelling. He was over the sea now and making a beeline for Windfall, when suddenly Medli's voice shouted in his mind.

"Makar! The Triforce has returned! The Sages of the Sacred Realm have gone after what they _think_ is a Rito possessed by the Triforce of Power! ...Makar, that Rito is the new Keeper, he has no idea why he's being chased!"

Makar veered north and headed for the location Medli had visualised to him. It wasn't long before he saw a Rito frantically avoiding two orbs of light... with four more approaching him at high speed. Makar put on a burst of speed, throwing his power out ahead of him to take control of the wind. He could just make out the widening of the Rito's eyes are he saw the other four heading for him. He had no way to escape. Suddenly Makar twisted the wind around him, catching the full force against his open wings and hauling him out of the way. The four newcomers missed and flew past, before turning round to try again. Once again Makar thwarted them by interfering, increasing the speed of the winds he summoned the closer he got to them. Again and again they missed, their confused shouts ringing in the air.

Rauru called out to the others.

"How is it he keeps evading us? His movements defy the laws of normal flight. He's not using magic either."

Impa darted at the Rito, who once again mysteriously veered to the side with no apparent effort on his part.

"I don't know... It's doesn't make any sense."

It was Nabouru who finally noticed that every time the Rito dodged, his hair and clothing blew off to the side in the direction he moved, as though the winds were helping him. In a sudden burst of inspiration she turned her senses on the wind rather than the Rito. What she detected shocked her.

"It's the wind! The wind is being controlled and used to move him away from our attacks!"

They began searching their surroundings for the source, all the while continuing to harass the Rito. It was Saria who spotted the interferer. Her shocked and hurt cry echoing across the distance between them.

"Makar! Why are you helping him?!"

Makar was standing in the air in his normal form, arms held out before him as his directed the wind. He fixed his eyes on her.

"You don't understand! He's not a threat!"

She darted towards him.

"You're wrong, Makar! You've never faced Ganondorf, you have no idea how dangerous that Rito is as long as he's under that man's control!" She attacked him, trying to distract him from his defence of the Rito. "You have to stop!"

Makar blocked her attack with little effort, her power was only a portion of his. He called out in entreaty.

"You don't understand, let me explain!"

She came around and struck at him again.

"No, Makar... _You_ don't understand... If you don't stop interfering I'll _make_ you stop..."

She began to pound at the shield he hastily formed around himself. As soon as he had the measure of her power he set enough into his shield to hold her off and turned the rest to continuing to help the Rito. Saria's angry shriek pierced the air.

"I'm not strong enough! The power of my temple isn't enough to stop him! Someone help me!"

Darunia and Ruto split off from the attack on the Rito and turned their efforts on Makar. Unable to pray to the Gods of Wind, he like them had only the core power of his temple to call on. As they came at him, he sensed he had barely more power than them and when they hit his shield the winds helping the Rito stopped. Exhausted, youth resumed his frantic dodging of the three sages who were still attacking him. Makar looked on in desperation as Nabouru dove at the Rito's back.

"Oh no you don't!"

A bolt of power struck Nabouru, sending her careening through the air, crying out in pain from the strike. Ruto halted in her attack of Makar and gasped in horror at the new arrival.

"Medli! Why did you attack her?!"

Medli sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ruto, but as long as you refuse to listen to us you force me to fight you..."

Medli struck out again, this time hitting Impa, causing her to tumble towards the sea below. The Sage of Shadow gasped in shock.

"By the gods, she's so powerful! How can a single sage wield so much power?"

Medli and Makar spoke in unison.

"We are the Sages of the Master Sword, just as the combined powers of your _six_ temples protect the land, so does the power of our _two_ temples. To balance this, our combined power is equal to yours... That is..._one _of us is three times as powerful as _one_ of you."

Taking advantage of the distraction, Makar called up a wind to help the Rito stay aloft. He was so exhausted he could barely fly anymore. Impa and her fellows looked on in horror at Medli and Makar, how were they to stop them if their combined powers were equal? Seeing a chance, Medli and Makar teleported to either side of Rito and built a combined shield. Impa and the others began to attack them, shards of power splintering into the air... It was a stalemate. The bombardment continued and even as the six sages began to tire, so Makar began to waver, his efforts in helping the Rito and continuing to keep him aloft, even now, were taking their toll. Their shield began to get smaller as they reduced the area in an effort to maintain it. Medli looked at him.

"Makar... You have to pray... I'll hold them until you finish the first verse of your song."

He hesitated.

"But, Medli..."

She stopped him.

"Trust in me Makar... I can do this." She closed her eyes and called up every last ounce of power in her and threw it into the shield. "NOW, MAKAR!"

He pulled his power back from the shield and brought out his violin, beginning to play before he had even fully set its base beneath his chin. His song drifted on the air, barely audible through the onslaught against them. Medli's face turned into a mask of pain as she strained to maintain their protections, her gasps of agony a counterpoint to his melody. He felt her power start to crumble when he was halfway through...

"Come on, Medli... Hang on..."

Suddenly the shield imploded, he covered his eyes and used what little power he had left to deflect some of the blast. He slowly opened his eyes... as he realised that none of it had reached him. A golden barrier separated Medli, the Rito and himself from the other six sages who now hovered a short distance away, in their normal forms, eyes wide with shock. He looked to where the Rito was and saw a determined face glaring at the sages from in front of the exhausted youth.

Link held his hand up, the back facing the astounded sages. The symbol of the Triforce shone there, as its power held them at bay and sheltered his friend. He turned to look at the new Keeper who knelt, stunned, on the invisible platform that Link had summoned to support him.

"Are you alright, Komali?"

Prince Komali looked up, eyes wide, and began to stammer in confusion.

"W-What's going on? W-Why were they attacking me?"

Link placed a hand on Komali's shoulder.

"They did it because they could sense the magic of the Triforce of Power around you... They though you were being controlled by it." He pulled Komali to his feet and gripped his right hand. "The truth is Komali... You are its new Keeper..."

He held out Komali's hand so that they could all see it... and the bright symbol that glowed on the back of it. Makar looked at the shocked and stunned faces of the six sages.

"I guess we have some explaining to do..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: OMG I LOVED writing that! (dances) I think I'm gonna try update during the week more regularly.... I have another chapter I want to do now...lol.**


	38. A Hero Revealed

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here we go, chapter 38. Time for the gang to face the music, and spill the beans.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 38: A Hero Revealed

A tense silence filled the room as the Sages of the Sacred Realm stood around one end of the map and waited for an explanation. Komali, having being carried back to Windfall by Link, was now ensconced in the chair by the fire under the watchful gaze of the exhausted Sage of Earth. Makar wasn't much better, he was slumped on a stool by the far wall, having dropped out of the air just as they had reached Windfall. The room remained silent for several moments more, before it was finally broken by the stern voice of Nabouru.

The Sage of Spirit placed a hand on the edge of the map table, and leaning on it she glared at the queen and her fellows, anger barely hidden behind an otherwise calm expression.

"So... Are you going to explain to us exactly what the hell is going on?" She pointed at Komali, who cowered back in his chair under her baleful gaze. "How in the name of the gods can he have the Triforce of Power? Ganondorf is its master, for all we know he could have planted it on this boy to destr..."

Tetra slammed a hand down on the table, cutting off her tirade.

"Ganondorf is dead... I myself helped to kill him. He is gone, struck down by the Master Sword and the Hero that wielded it." She closed her eyes. "We destroyed him four years ago... when he appeared on the surface of the Great Sea and began seeking out the descendants of the Royal Family. All would have ended in disaster... if not for Link..."

She turned and looked at Link, who was stood looking out of the window. In the light of the lamps, the Triforce symbol still shone on the back of his hand. Nabouru backed up a step, as Saria and the other Sages looked at the young man in confusion.

"You... You're a Hero?"

Link sighed and turned to face them. His expression was resigned as he began to speak.

"I am the Hero of Winds... I was given that name by the King of Red Lions, Daphnes Nohassan Hyrule, just before I descended to Hyrule for what was to be the last time... to confront Ganondorf." He sighed again. "I didn't ask to be a Hero. When I set out on my journey it was only to save my sister. She had been snatched by a monstrous bird and I didn't have the slightest inkling that it was being controlled by the King of Evil and that he had sent it out in an attempt to find the Princess." He gave a short laugh. "Heck, at that time I didn't even know there _was_ a King of Evil. For the people of the Great Sea, the story of the Hero of Time was just a legend. Some story from a forgotten time, from a place no one remembered. At that time I didn't even know my heritage. My dad was stranded in the Outer Islands until recently, it was only when he managed to get home that Aryll and I learned the truth of our family's past."

Nabouru still looked unsure.

"How can you be sure he's gone. He's come back before, on a number of occasions. He could..."

She was once again cut off, this time by Makar as he glanced up from his position on the stool.

"Let's just say that the last time he was seen... he would have made an interesting garden ornament. What with being turned to stone after having the Master Sword jammed into his head."

"Though the sea currents will have reduced what was left of him to gravel by now..." Medli stood by the fire, eyes closed. "Besides, he didn't have the Triforce of Power anymore, he was no longer protected by it. There _is_ no way for him to come back again."

The certainty in their explanations shook the Sages of the Sacred Realm to their very core. They had, in their panic and ignorance, attacked someone who was completely innocent and no danger to anyone. It was Rauru who spoke to their victim on their behalf.

"We are deeply sorry, Prince Komali. If there's any..."

"It's fine." He stood up shakily. "You didn't know, if anything what happened is our fault. We should have explained things to you as soon as you awakened from the Sealing, but instead we held off, remaining silent. Because of that you believed he had returned, and after what's happened in the past you were bound to panic when faced with the thought of fighting him again."

The sages looked at him, really looked at him. They had never met this particular Rito before, and now they found themselves confronted with a calm young man who radiated the presence and confidence of a true leader. This young man was born to know power, and he carried it with an ease that set him aside from the average individual. Reassured, but still not certain, it was Ruto who voiced their concerns.

"We can tell you are a good person, but still, Ganondorf was good once. The temptation of power was what corrupted him. How can we be certain that the same will not happen again?"

Komali smiled at them wryly.

"Because it can't." They looked at him in startled confusion. "I think I know why I was picked. It wasn't just that I was a prince, raised to know the power and duties of leadership, but also because my people are under the protection of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, Lord Valoo. He is the one who gives us our wings, it's his magic that lets us soar on the winds. Because of that, even from the moment we are born we carry a spark of his power within us, and like the Deku Tree and the Kokiri, it shields us from corruption... I and my people can no more turn to evil than the Children of the Forest, who as we all know retain an everlasting innocence, granted to them by their father the Deku Tree."

The tension in the room faded, as the last of the fear faded from the Sages' hearts. They sensed that he was right, and for the first time in over two thousand years they knew for certain that the Triforce of Power would never be used to harm Hyrule or the world again. Saria broke out into a joyful smile and couldn't resist pulling out her ocarina and playing a happy trill as she danced lightly over to Komali. She stopped in front of him and like the eager child she resembled, threw herself at him and enveloped him in a hug. Komali flushed with embarrassment before he saw the funny side of it and started laughing with the rest of them. As the laughter eased off and stopped, Impa turned to the Queen.

"I hate to shatter the happiness that we have found in this moment, but I need to ask you this. Over the time since it was given into the keeping of the Royal Family, the Triforce of Wisdom has been used on several occasions to show images of the past, in a vision of sorts. Will you use it to show us the final fight against Ganondorf? We are still confused about what happened to Hyrule itself, and I sense that what occurred during that final confrontation is at the heart of it."

Tetra's eyes became distant, she sighed.

"I'll try..."

She closed her eyes, the symbol on her hand blazing as she called on the power within her. They watched as the room seemed to fade into shadow around them, and then suddenly became open air, above a tower set against the mountains and valleys of Hyrule. Below they could see a figure in a dark robe, red hair shone like fire in the sun. On the ground next to him lay a girl with hair of gold, the symbol on her hand flickering uncertainly. A boy in green, carrying the Master Sword emerged from the stairs at the edge of the tower's summit, and so it began.

"My country lay within a vast desert, when the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced out homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing... Death..."

They watched as the boy below, as Link, looked at Ganondorf in confusion. He frowned.

_Why the heck is he telling me this?_

The real Link gasped, startled.

"What the...? I never said that out loud."

Tetra looked at the symbol on her hand.

"It's the Triforce of Wisdom. For some reason it's showing us more than what was actually said."

Ganondorf, shifted, closing his eyes while the wind stirred his hair, as they turned to look at the scene once more.

"But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I... coveted that wind I suppose." He opened his eyes once more, his expression grave. "It can only be called fate... That here I would again gather the three with the crests... That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when Power, Wisdom and Courage come together, the gods themselves would have no choice but to come down... The power of the gods... The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted!" He glanced down at the unconscious princess at his feet. "Already the Crest of Wisdom is mine... All that remains..."

Link raised his shield, held the Master Sword ready.

_He won't catch me out with those hidden blades of his again!_

The sages looked on in horror as Ganondorf caught the boy by surprise, using his fists and not the blade that Link had expected. The final punch flung Link backwards and rendered him limp on the floor. Saria reached out as if to stop what was happening, but Darunia pulled her back.

"It's a vision, we cannot change it."

Ganondorf lifted the boy from the ground by his left arm and held him high.

"Do not fear, I will not kill you. I merely have need of the power that dwells within you." He shouted in triumph. "NOW! Let us put an end to that which binds us together!"

As his hand began to glow, the Triforce leaving him, Link opened his eyes weakly.

_No! It can't end like this!_

The Triforce merged over their heads and descended to the top of the tower. Ganondorf began to laugh as he dropped the injured hero and walked towards it, Link's eyes following him.

_...No!_

Ganondorf stopped a short distance from it, and began to cry out in a voice filled with malevolent victory.

"Gods! Hear that which I desire! Expose this land to the rays of the sun once more! Let them burn forth! _Give Hyrule to me!!_"

He lowered his hand and froze, while above the six sages gasped as one. A hand rested on the surface of the Triforce, a hand belonging to an all too familiar man. Daphnes Nohassan Hyrule, the King of Red Lions.

As Ganondorf looked at him in horror, the King pinned him with a determined glare.

"He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted... That is what you said, is it not, Ganondorf?"

He turned his eyes to look at the waves high above, as his voice rang through the air.

"_Gods of the Triforce, hear that which I desire! Hope! I desire hope! Give these children a future! Wash away this ancient land of Hyrule... Let a ray of hope shine on the future of the world!_" His eyes lowered back to the man he had thwarted.

_And may my people of old, forgive me... Please... let them have a future as well... _

The Triforce began to glow, and to the horror of the Sages, water began to fall in great swathes. Ganondorf choked back a cry.

_I will not accept this! Hyrule is MINE!_

The King took in the man's expression, his eyes serene as he regarded the man who had destroyed the peace of his kingdom.

"And may our destinies finally be fulfilled... Ganondorf, may you drown with Hyrule!"

His spirit faded into the shadows, as the Triforce departed, leaving behind the man who had sought to use it. Ganondorf began to laugh once more.. but this time it held an edge of insanity. As pelting rain began to fall, Link pulled himself to his feet, holding the arm that had been so cruelly grasped by Ganondorf. The man stopped, his breath harsh, heard even over the roar of the falling water.

"This is foolishness... A future... for you?"

A new laugh rang out... it was filled with scorn.

"What are you laughing at, Ganondorf? You're insane!" Link turned to see that Tetra had woken up, and was holding the Master Sword which had been flung in her direction when Ganondorf had struck him. She smiled at him. "Link! I'm sorry!" She chuckled. "I overslept!" She glanced at the falling water before looking at him once more. "I think it's time for us to say good-bye to this place. We must return to the world above! Back to our ocean!"

A derisive sound from Ganondorf interrupted her. The looked at him as he just stood there, motionless.

"Very well, then... Allow me to show you... your future..." There was a rasp of steel, blades appearing in his hands. "Yes... Allow me to show you... Just what hope you have..." He spun to face them, his eyes were filled with malice as he sneered at them. "See how much your precious Triforce is worth!"

He leapt at them, and in that final moment before he reached them, Tetra snatched the bow and quiver from Link's back. As she darted to the side to evade the first attack, she called back to Link.

"I'll use this bow to cover you! Attack him as best you can!"

Link side stepped the blade that was seeking his life and nodded to her before raising his shield to guard against Ganondorf's next move.

_You bet I will, Tetra! This is for all the people he's hurt! I won't let him get away with it!_

Link darted in, forcing Ganondorf to back up to avoid him. A blade swung at his head, forcing Link to duck before his stabbed Ganondorf in the leg. The man screamed, more out of fury than pain... that is until a bolt of light struck him.

"Gahhhggg!!"

He dropped to his knees as the magic of the light arrow fired by Tetra burned into him, Link moved in and dealt several blows, opening gashes in the mans robes as they penetrated to the body within. Tetra gasped as a sudden kick by Ganondorf sent Link flying. Knowing she couldn't help by running into danger, she drew the bow and called light to a second arrow, aiming it at Ganondorf's heart. She fired, this time though the arrow missed as her target saw it coming and leapt out of the way. The arrow struck the now solid wall of falling water that surrounded them, vanishing in a hiss of steam. She looked around in panic... They were hemmed in, with nowhere to move to if they should be forced back off.

_We're trapped!_ She shook herself and glared at her target before lifting another arrow to the string. _Tetra! You're a pirate captain for crying out loud! Not some pampered little princess who doesn't know how to fight! Now focus!_

She released the shot and gave a short laugh of triumph as it stuck home, letting Link move in to deal even more damage with the Master Sword. She readied another arrow and fired again. This time Ganondorf didn't fall all the way to his knees, the shot had only skimmed him. His baleful gaze pinned her to the spot.

_You little pest!_

He charged at her and with a single backhanded slap knocked her out. Link went to rush to her, and barely avoided being cut in two as Ganondorf turned back to fighting him. He looked desperately at her as he was forced into a retreat by the sheer ferocity of the madman's assault.

_Tetra!_ He growled under his breath and gritted his teeth before charging at the man. _This is for Tetra! This is for Outset! This is for my family! And this is for all those who you hurt just to have power!_

Ganondorf cried out in shock as Link suddenly parried blow after blow, driving him across the top of the tower and nearly into the wall of water beyond. He broke free of the attack just as a soft moan sounded from the fallen princess. Tetra got up, her eyes searching for the two combatants. As she found them, a look of annoyance crossed her face to be lit up by the light of a fresh arrow. She fired, but Ganondorf dodged it at the last moment. Link parried and darted under his guard, only to be blocked as the man whipped his blade behind him. This continued for several minutes, as the two youths became increasingly desperate. Nothing worked anymore, they couldn't get through his guard. Tetra looked around in desperation, and suddenly saw light glint off Link's shield.

_Of course! That's it!_

She ran to Link, speaking just loud enough for him to hear her as she stopped to snatch the spare bundle of arrows from his back as a diversion before darting away again.

"Link! You have to distract him! Are you ready?! I'll aim for you! And you use your shield... Do you get it?"

Link dodged another attack, all the while following Tetra out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly flipped backwards several times, putting distance between him and Ganondorf so that he could stand still. He crouched there, the polished surface of his shield reflecting the madness in his foe's eyes. Golden light flared as Tetra took aim... and fired... The arrow was aimed wide of Ganondorf and he knew it, thus he ignored it. By then it was too late. The arrow rebounded off of Link's defence before hitting Ganondorf dead centre. Link dropped his shield and rolled around behind him... He tried to block, but Link used his strike as a springboard to fling himself high into the air... to come down with a sickening crunch, the Master Sword hitting it's target.

A choked gasp escaped the dying mans mouth as he uttered his final words...

"Ughnn... Heh heh... The wind... It is blowing..."

Link jumped to the ground from the man's shoulders, as he dropped to his knees and was slowly turned to stone by the sword's power. Panting with exhaustion, he stumbled just as Tetra reached him.

"Link!"

As she helped him to stand upright, footsteps approached them. They looked up, and saw the sorrow filled eyes of the King looking down on them.

"My children... Listen to me... I have lived regretting the past. And I have faced those regrets." He looked up at the falling water he had called down and closed his eyes. "If only I could do things over again... Not a day has gone by without thoughts turning to my kingdom of old. I have lived bound to Hyrule." He turned and looked upon the remains of the man who had started this all those many years ago. "In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf." He lifted his eyes to regard them. "But you... I want you to live for the future. There may be nothing left for you... But despite that you must look forward and walk the path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes." He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Farewell... This is the only world your ancestors were able to leave you. Please... forgive us."

Tetra clasped her hands in front of her, eyes filled with sadness as her eyes fell. Suddenly she looked up, her face hopeful as she looked at him.

"W-Wait! You could... You could come with us! Yes of course... We have a ship! We can find it. We WILL find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule!" Her eyes pleaded with him. "So..."

He closed his eyes once more, as a smile graced his face.

"...Ah, but child... That land will not be Hyrule." He stepped back. "It will be YOUR land!"

The six observing sages, forgetting that it was a vision, covered their heads as a torrent of water descended upon the tower. They recovered in time to see two bubbles of air, holding Link and Tetra, lifting the two youths towards the surface. They watched as Link reached out and desperately tried to grab onto the King as he lifted a hand towards him.

_I won't leave you here! ...NO!!_

As Link was dragged away, the King's hand fell... and his voice whispered for a final time.

"I have... scattered the seeds... of the future..."

The vision faded as Tetra slumped sobbing to the floor of the map room. Link stood stooped over the window ledge, a pattern of tears marking it's surface. But for the sobs of the Queen, the room was silent. In the end though, it was the oldest of them all that spoke first. Saria, sole surviving member of the first Kokiri, older even than Rauru, whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"He sacrificed Hyrule... He destroyed the only thing that had kept Ganondorf going. His desire for Hyrule was why he kept returning. The King realised that..." She dropped to her knees, her hands covering her face as tears started to drip through her fingers. "I understand the reasons he did it... But why? Why does it still hurt so much? ... Hyrule!"

No further words were spoken... As they grieved for the King... and for a kingdom lost...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: No comment... I'm not gonna spoil the mood...**


	39. Road to Unity

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's chapter 39. Sorry for the wait but I had a touch of writer's block... for some reason I couldn't get more than half a scene done before getting stuck :P Anyway, enjoy.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 39: Road to Unity

It was a numb silence that filled the room, its occupants motionless as their thoughts dwelt on what they had been shown. In the end, it was Eidan who finally broke the silence. Stunned though he was by seeing the scene that had concluded his son's journey as a hero, he still noticed one very important detail from that scene. A wish... thought but not spoken. He thumped his hand on the map table to get their attention.

"As hard as that was to watch in the end, at least it's told us why all these things have been happening lately."

Tetra looked up, confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Eidan traced the edge of the map with a fingertip.

"After the king said his wish, the Triforce of Wisdom also allowed us to hear what he _thought_... '_And may my people of old forgive me... please... let them have a future as well'_.... He may not have actually spoken it, but who ever said that wishes had to be made out loud? If he wished for those who were sealed to be spared, it makes sense that the gods would eventually bring them to the surface." He continued to trace the map's border. "We finally know what's been going on... It's all because of the king's wish. He destroyed the Hyrule of old, but he saved his people."

Saria wiped a stray tear from her face, she was still knelt on the floor.

"It doesn't change the fact that Hyrule is gone... What are we to _tell_ them?"

Aryll cleared her throat, startling them. She was clearly disappointed by Saria's attitude.

"When reading my ancestor's journals I can across an interesting entry. In one of them he mentioned that a certain rather important queen told him something. _'It's not the land that makes a kingdom... It's the people'_." She crossed her arms. "Hyrule isn't gone.. because it lives on in each and every one of us. As long as we believe in the kingdom, even with the land changed, it will _always_ exist."

The sages were stunned into silence, eyes thoughtful as they took in her words. Saria sighed.

"She's right... As long as the people remain, Hyrule will live on forever."

Eidan ceased his finger's wandering of the map's edge and instead looked at the fifteen or so settlements marked on the new central continent.

"Well I guess we should turn our attention back to sorting out those roads. Building them will be easy now... It probably will only take a month or so, depending on how much he can do at once."

They all stared at him, baffled. Tetra was looking at her advisor as though she thought he had lost his senses.

"Eidan, that's impossible. And what do you mean by 'how much _he_ can do at once'?"

Eidan chuckled at pointed at Komali, who started at the attention.

"Are we forgetting what Komali is now the Keeper of? While the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage don't lend themselves to raw construction, from the accounts in the Hero of Time's journals, the Triforce of Power seems to be rather suited to it. Ganondorf built all manner of things using it. If we can give Komali decent map of where we want the roads to go and what we want them to be like, he can simply go the each location and _create_ the road in a matter of seconds." As an after thought he added. "Though since you and Link have some experience of using your own parts of the Triforce, maybe you can give him some idea of _how_ exactly to call on his."

Rauru looked a little concerned.

"But should we really be calling on it for such a task? What if the goddesses..."

Link cut him off, having turned to face them, his tears now dried.

"They would hardly have sent it back to us, considering the current situation, and expect us _not_ to use it for the benefit of the people. Right now, if we don't get at least the roads from the settlements, to the new planned dock villages, finished before the end of autumn storms set in... many of the people brought to the surface will starve during the cold months."

Nabouru gently elbowed the Sage of Light.

"He's right." She looked around that those present. "So, are we going to keep talking or are we going to call it a night? Tetra and Eidan need to sort those maps out for Komali, so if we stay here we'll just get in their way."

Saria clambered to her feet.

"Let's all go to bed. We can discuss this more in the morning."

With a nod to Tetra, Link, and Eidan, she vanished in a flash of light, immediately followed by her fellow sages. With a sigh, Makar got up and looked at Medli.

"We'd better go. With the Triforce having returned, I think we should start looking for the Master Sword. I'm going to head to my temple and see if I can sense it from there. If not, I guess we'll have to look the old fashioned way."

He too vanished, Medli grimaced.

"After all that's happened, I would have liked to spend some time with my tribe... but duty does come first for a sage. Makar's right, we really should start looking for it." She smiled at them. "I guess I'll see you around."

Komali reached out and took hold of her hand. She looked at him, her eyes warming as she squeezed his hand in return before she disappeared. Left with nothing else to do, Komali got up from his chair and headed for the door. He glanced back at the remainder of them.

"Goodnight."

With a soft thud the door closed behind him. After a few muted words and a couple of yawns, the rest of them followed his example and made their way to their own beds for the night.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As the first rays of the sun lit the rooftops of Windfall, a lone Rito could be seen flying towards Dragon Roost. The queen, having woken up before dawn, had given him a message for the Rito Chieftain, letting him know that his son Komali would be busy for a while. Meanwhile, in the Map Room, the group, minus the Sages of the Master Sword, had gathered and were now discussing what they would do next.

Rauru looked around at his fellow sages, receiving a nod of agreement. He turned to the queen.

"Lady Tetra, the six of us have decided to work together to transport Prince Komali to the places he needs to go. It will speed up the road building considerably and will also spare him the strain of flying to so many places."

Tetra looked thoughtful.

"That's a good idea. I have a question though... can you carry more than one?" Rauru and the other sages nodded. Tetra smiled. "I think Hyrule Castle Town would be the best place for him to start, and I also need to visit the people who live there. It's been a while now since they were awakened, and although they've been _told_ that the queen knows about them and is doing all she can to help... It would be best if they see me themselves. If you can take us, I'd like Aryll and my maid to go with me as well." She smiled at the young blond girl. "I'll need your ability to talk to your father over distance to keep up to date with progress around the Great Sea. He'll be staying to look after things here. My maid will be coming because I've asked her to get out some of my old dresses for you to use. I'm too tall for them now and it will only take a little altering for them to fit you. After all, you can't keep wearing that sundress every day, you need a change of clothes."

Aryll plucked at her dress and chuckled.

"Well Farore didn't exactly give me time to pack." She chuckled again. "It's just as well you _want_ me to come with you, because I'd have asked to come anyway." She looked at her father. "Us being able to talk over distance is going to be really useful... I just wish I'd known how to do it back when me and all those other girls were kidnapped by Ganondorf. I could have got word to their families through Link, and let everyone know that we were alright... We would have known about you being alive as well... and you wouldn't have been stuck out there for twelve years."

Eidan sighed.

"Aryll, people throughout the ages have looked back wished the same thing for various abilities. But the past is over and you can't change it, so there's no need to dwell on it."

There was a polite tap on the door and at Tetra's permission, a blond haired young woman entered carrying three bags. Link took one look at her and nearly dropped the slice of bread he'd been eating while sat by the fire.

"Mila?"

Mila smiled shyly.

"Hi Link. I guess you didn't know that I have a new job. Lady Tetra decided that with all the things she has had to do lately, she needed a maid to help her with her apartments and such. Before now she was always able to find time to sort them out herself."

Tetra grimaced a little.

"It had got to the point where in some places you couldn't see my floor, I knew then that I had to hire someone. I'd met Mila around the town quite a few times and I knew we would get on well, so I asked Zunari if he was opposed to me offering her another job and he was fine with it. When I asked Mila if she wanted it, she jumped at the chance."

Mila shook her finger at Link as though warning him.

"And don't think I took the job because I wanted to get back a taste of the rich life I used to have. I wanted it because it means I can help everyone on the Great Sea... Even if it's only by picking up the mess our beloved queen leaves her room in every morning."

Tetra gave Mila a scowl, while the maid just grinned back at her. It was clear though that Tetra didn't mind Mila's teasing, in fact she probably enjoyed being teased about such silly things as a messy bedroom. Link just smiled.

"So how's your father doing? I haven't heard much about him for a while now."

Mila giggled.

"He's still avoiding work by complaining about having a bad back. I make him do all the dishes and laundry though by telling him that if he doesn't do them I'll leave them there until he does. Still, at least we have a house now so he can spend the rest of his time slacking off in our living room if that's what makes him happy." Her expression was grateful as she looked back at Link. "Thanks again for the money you gave me, Link. I wouldn't have that house now if not for you."

Link blushed a little, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Don't mention it, you needed the money more than I did."

There was some discrete murmuring among the sages as they hid smiles and nudged each other. Link's blush deepened, and Mila began to blush as well. Changing the subject, Link brought out his partially finished map of the Inner Sea.

"Well I'm going to head back to the Inner Sea and finish mapping the coastline. I spoke to Windfall's local Merman last night and he's called through the sea to let the group that was helping me know where to meet me. I'm going to use a cyclone to get there faster, and I'm going to check on Saiweve when I'm done." He got up and walked over to the map, placing a finger on an orange marker that had been placed on the coast of the new western continent. "After that I'll go and help out with the planned dock you have marked here for the Gerudo. That area of the sea is still dangerous for most sailors to attempt going through. If _I_ go, then I can map out a safe trade route through the area to reach the dock, maybe even clear out some of the sea traps as well."

Tetra got to her feet, Komali, who like Link had been eating a belated breakfast, got up as well.

"That's a plan then." She looked around. "Well, if there's nothing else to discuss I suggest we all go our separate ways." She glanced sidelong at the Sage of Light. "Rauru, if you and the others are ready?"

Mila passed a bag to Tetra and another to Aryll, while Komali came over. The sages surrounding all four of them in a ring of linked arms. As light began to gather, Mila waved at Link just before all of them disappeared. Aryll was behind her with a knowing grin on her face. Moments later, Link and Eidan heard her.

_Mila really likes you, Link. Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend? _There was a pause. _Wow, it's creepy the way the old road here just cuts off... The town looks interesting though, it has _big_ walls that's for sure._

Link chuckled as her 'voice' petered out, and headed for the door.

"Yeah, Hyrule Castle Town has big walls alright." He glanced back at his father, soon to be sole remaining person in the map room. "See you around, Dad. I'll let you know how Lyle and Mara are doing when I get that far."

The door closed, and Eidan sighed into the silence. He turned at looked at the still huge pile of reports he had to go through... _all_ by himself.

"Oh well, no rest for the weary. I'd better get to work."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Aryll poked at the end of the road before turning and staring up at the massive walls of the town with wide eyes. As soon as they had arrived, Saria had vanished into the town to get the Mayor, yelling out to all and sundry that the Queen of Hyrule had come to the Castle Town to meet them all. Tetra was now tugging at her skirt, looking a little anxious as a clamour of joyful voices began to erupt beyond the gate. Instead of worrying too much though, she passed a tightly rolled map to Komali.

"You may as well get the section to the dock Link used done. It's only a little over five miles so it's an easy bit for you to practice on. Not like the fifty mile sections you may end up doing later if you can manage that much."

Komali opened the map, the continent drawn on it was crossed with more than a _few_ lines.

"Where exactly are we on this?"

Helpfully, Nabouru leaned over his shoulder and pointed.

"Here, and this is the section you're doing."

Komali looked up at the sun and got himself orientated. Now facing north, he raised his right hand in front of him, palm outwards as he kept glancing at the map he held in his left.

"Tetra?"

Guessing the unspoken question, Tetra explained.

"Think of the symbol on your hand as the end of a rope of power that comes from your part of the Triforce. Take hold of it in your mind and guide it out into the world, focusing on what you want it to do. Keep that up and you should get a road... _If_ yours works the same way as mine does that is. Don't ask me what will happen if it doesn't."

Komali groaned and said sarcastically.

"Thanks for the comforting words, Tetra."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the symbol on his hand began to blaze. Suddenly the end of the cut off road flared with golden light, which exploded across the ground a raced away from them, curving round to arrow towards the north. In it's wake was a road that exactly matched the remnant of the original road that it had grown from. Several seconds passed before the light of the symbol died. Komali stumbled, but before anyone could reach him, he steadied himself and looked over his shoulder at them.

"That was a little more difficult than I was expecting, but It'll be easier next time now that I have a better idea of how to direct it... Hyrule Castle Town now has proper access to the dock north of here. I stopped the road about twenty yards short of the pier itself. That close enough?"

Tetra broke into a wide grin.

"That's more than close enough, Komali. Nice work." She pointed at the new road. "If people didn't know better they'd never tell the difference between the old part and the new."

Komali turned and took a closer look at his handiwork. The sages too were suitably impressed."

Nabouru ruffled his hair a bit and grinned.

"Really nice work. For the first time in all of history the Triforce of Power has been used for something good... And it's about time."

Komali, using a hand to tidy his now messy hair, grinned back at her. Now was a time when the people of the lands of old and the people of the sea of the present, would travel together along the new road before them... A new road to unity.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Whew... I can't believe that took me so long to write. I kept getting to a point, reading over what I'd just typed, and thinking 'that's rubbish' or 'that's too corny' etc, and then deleting that section and typing it again. I must have written this chapter over about 3 times (sweatdrops) Oh well, I got it done eventually.**


	40. Words of a Queen

**Alaia Skyhawk: Woo, chapter 40. To think that at this point the story has already broken the 100 thousand word mark. I didn't manage that on Prequel until chapter 50. Well, the people of Hyrule Castle Town are finally going to meet Tetra. What will they think of her?**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 40: Words of a Queen

Voices murmured in hushed hope as Darthan, accompanied by Saria and a hastily assembled honour guard rode along the Grand Procession. All around him, the people of the town gathered at the sides of the road, watching in hope that the words shouted out by the Forest Sage were true... Their queen, a queen they had never met, had come from her island home to see them. Darthan brushed at his robe, conscious of everything from the dots of ink on his cuffs to the layer of dust on his shoes. He had been in the middle of writing a letter to the Mayor of Kakariko when Saria's bright and loud calls outside his front door had alerted him to the queen stood waiting at the gates. Sensing his nervousness, the sage gave him a reassuring smile from her place atop the horse brought along for the queen.

"Lady Tetra isn't picky about appearances. She'll just see the ink dots as a sign of a hard working man who cares about the people he looks after. Besides, right now she's probably more nervous than you. From her perspective the number of people who look to her more than trebled a few weeks ago. Not to mention she's been wrestling over the road problem for a while now, a problem that's only now been solved by some unusual circumstances."

Darthan relaxed a little, though he was still tense.

"Lady Tetra?"

Saria giggled.

"That's what she told us to call her for informal occasions. For all this," she indicated the crowd, "I'll be calling her Queen Zyara since it's a _formal_ occasion."

Darthan looked thoughtful.

"A queen who doesn't like people calling her Queen... I guess that fits with what you said about her not being bothered about appearances..."

Saria broke out into laughter.

"Relax, Darthan, she won't bite your head off, she's not the type." She paused, reconsidering as she remembered what the queen used to be. "Then again... she might be."

At this comment, the Mayor began to brush stray bits of fluff of his robes again. Saria sighed in defeat as they continued along the Grand Procession to meet up with their guests.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra nervously straightened her crown, her hair, her dress, anything that came to mind, and then did it all over again. Repeated assurances by Rauru and the other four sages present did little to help. Neither did Aryll's jokes, Mila's wry comments, or Komali's advice about how to handle being stared at by a lot of people.

_Why did I ask to come here? Why? What if they hate me or start comparing me to the queen they had before they were sealed?_

Aryll took one look at her expression and stamped on her toes. Tetra exploded into curses as she hopped on one foot while holding the one the girl had just stepped on. Aryll grinned at her as she gingerly put her foot back down again

"Feel better now?"

Tetra looked at her for a moment before breaking into a weak smile.

"Actually, I do."

There was a scuffle just inside the gate along with the sound of hoof beats. Aryll and Mila both took a step back to stand behind Tetra as the town's mayor came into view. Tetra held herself straight and looked Darthan in the eyes, trying not to tremble as she waited. Protocol said that he had to speak first.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As his horse stepped though the gate, Darthan found himself looking a young woman whose face was the vision of the queen he had known before the sealing. Eyes of deepest blue stared steadily at him, framed by hair of gold and a ruby set crown. Instead of being left down like he was accustomed to seeing for royal women, her hair was tied up high leaving it to hang down the back in a single tress to just past her shoulders. Her clothing was different as well. Instead of a dress she wore a long, rose coloured skirt with the traditional lilac pennant down the front. On the top she wore a white blouse with loose sleeves that only went as far as her forearms, along with open waistcoat of a darker purple. Except for her crown, a necklace and her earrings, which were all simple, she wore no jewellery. Her appearance spoke of practicality, this wasn't a queen who stood back and directed her people from a throne room, this was a queen who went out among her people and worked right alongside them. It also meant he had no idea how to react to her. Was he to treat her as he would the previous queen he had known and make sure she didn't have to lift a finger during her stay, or was he to allow her to do most things for herself?

Hiding his uncertainty for now, Darthan dismounted from his horse and walked forward to bow before her, the honour guard and Saria dismounting to bow as well.

"Queen Zyara, it is an honour to finally meet you. A young sailor who visited here recently spoke highly of you as a queen who cares deeply about the welfare of her people."

Tetra discretely took a deep breath before replying, her heart was pounding.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mayor Darthan. Link spoke highly of you as well when he described you to me just a few hours ago. He was quite impressed by your handling of the current situation."

Darthan stood up straight and indicated the white horse he had brought along for her.

"You are too kind, My Lady. I have brought Starlight for you to ride, she is the mare that was much loved by our queen from before the Sealing. The people are anxious to see you, perhaps we can make our way along the Procession so that they can meet you for themselves."

Tetra looked at the horse and blinked, barely holding back a tactless statement and replacing it with one that was more polite. Darthan noticed the pause and the faint frown before she composed herself.

"While it would be a great honour to ride her I'm afraid I've never seen a horse before in my life, never mind ridden one. I fear that I would hardly do her justice if I were to fall off her along the Procession..." She then blurted. "I'll just walk, I'm not going to risk looking like an idiot in front of the people who are placing so much faith in me."

Tetra bit her lip as she realise how blunt the last part was, Darthan suppressing a smile as she composed herself once more. With a wave to the guards they formed ranks with each of them now leading his horse not riding it. Starlight was placed in the centre, her training meant she would follow the rest without prompting.

"If My Lady walks, then we all shall walk." On impulse he added. "The exercise will do us all good."

Aryll and Mila covered smiles as Tetra struggled to suppress one of her own. Saria, who was now beside her fellow sages, nudged Komali forward as a reminder to her. Tetra looked at Komali apologetically.

"It seems I've forgotten another royal guest to introduce you to. This is Prince Komali of the Rito Tribe, and Keeper of the Triforce of Power. He's the one who will be building the roads, like the one you now have going to the dock north of here."

As Komali inclined his head in greeting, he also indicated the new road. Darthan stared open mouthed in shock both from her statement and from seeing the road.

"T-The Triforce of Power?"

Komali gave him a reassuring smile.

"I was as surprised as you are. I only received it yesterday, it seems the goddesses finally made up their minds about who they would entrust it to. After all, it's been four years since Ganondorf was destroyed."

Darthan remained open mouthed, the honour guard was now in the exact same state.

"H-He's gone?"

The Mayor now looked fit to fall over, such was the state of shock he was in. Taking a page out of Aryll's book, Tetra walked over and stamped on his toes. The stunned look vanished as Darthan broke out into curses, though none were as colourful as what Tetra has used. When he stopped he looked up at her in surprise her nerves were gone and she smiled wryly back at him.

"Feel better now?"

In that moment his nerves also left him as he chuckled and put his foot back down. She was definitely a queen to walk among the people, and it seemed that protocol only got in the way of that. Evidenced by the confidence this unusual behaviour of hers inspired in him.

"Yes, My Lady, I do."

Tetra walked over the honour guard, followed by Aryll and Mila, and took her place at the front. She glanced back at him.

"Shall we get going?"

He trotted over and took his position behind her and to the left, Komali stood in the same place on the right. Behind them, the six sages arranged themselves in two ranks of three. Tetra set off through the gate, the rest of them following at the same pace. Within moments they were through the great stone arch and came into view of the people waiting beyond. With her being in the open at the front, a number of the soldiers holding the crowds to the sides moved as if to position themselves either side of her to protect her. With a slight shake of the head and a small hand gesture, she bade them stay where they were. She wanted to be visible, so that she could be seen clearly by the people who needed her so much. This show of trust that the people would not harm her pleased those who saw it and they began to cheer. Soon the whole crowd was roaring their approval as their queen made her way to the Marketplace. She was almost there when a pair of drunks stumbled out of the mass and headed for her. The soldiers were caught off guard, but before they could react the drunks reached the queen, to unexpected results.

In the blink of an eye Tetra produced a sailor's knife from beneath her waistcoat and with her free hand flipped the first drunkard to the ground where she pointed the eight inch blade at him to keep him down. Aryll dealt with the other, drawing a sailor's knife of her own before putting him in a headlock with the blade pointed at his chin. Both of the men froze in shock, meanwhile the crowd, the guards and Darthan stared dumbstruck at the scene, stunned into silence. Aryll let go of her drunk and shoved him at one of the soldiers at the roadside who fumbled to catch hold of him.

"Never assume a lady is unarmed, the women of the Great Sea are more than capable of defending themselves."

Attention now turned to Tetra, who was still pointing her knife at the other drunk who stared back at her with bulging eyes. She glanced back at Darthan, her blade not moving an inch as she did so.

"Queen I may be, but I was and am a sailor first and captain of my own ship. A few drunks don't scare me... not when I've looked down an arrow shaft at the King of Evil."

Mila moved forward and pulled her own knife out of a pleat in her skirt that hid it. Gripping the drunk by his collar she hauled him to his feet and like Aryll passed him on to a nearby soldier.

"Queen Zyara doesn't depend on guards to defend her, it's a fool who isn't prepared to defend them self on their own. All women on the Great Sea can use some sort of weapon, even if it's only a rolling pin or a frying pan."

The three of them brushed themselves off and replaced their knives in their various places of concealment. Komali grinned at Tetra and executed a small bow of respect. His show of approval for the Queen's words drawing renewed cheers from the crowd. Darthan looked a little bemused as they set off once more, Aryll murmured in an aside to him.

"I can tell you'd already picked up that she's a hands on type of queen, but I'd stop being so surprised by each new thing she does if I were you or you're going to keep being surprised for a very long time. I'd also like to mention that as long as Mila and I are near her there's no need for any additional guards anyway. Mila's an expert with her knife as am I. I can also use magic to repel arrows and such, so the only way to harm the queen is to get near her, and that means getting near two women who have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to protect her."

Darthan almost gulped at the tone Aryll used in the last part of her statement. That along with the look in her eyes telling him she was serious. Not questioning it further, he turned his attention back to the rapidly approaching Marketplace. When they finally reached it, Tetra crossed it to the stone dais on the far side with complete confidence. She climbed the steps onto the platform and turned to face the huge crowd that had filed into the open space behind the honour guard. Aryll, Mila, Komali and Darthan stood to either side of the steps while the guilds moved behind the dais. When the crowd beyond stopped moving, Tetra lifted an arm and they fell silent. She looked around as they waited for her to speak.

"People of Hyrule Castle Town, people from the villages beyond, you have all suffered a great deal of uncertainty these last few weeks. Faced starvation and an unknown future. Thanks to the new Keeper of the Triforce of Power, the town now has a road to the new dock north of here and soon the extra crops the people from the islands have grown will be ready and sent to ensure that all of you make it through the winter. You are no doubt wondering how it is possible for there to be a new Keeper, and as Tetra Zyara Hyrule I can tell you the reason is this. A few years ago now, Ganondorf arose and began searching for me, for the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. He caused havoc across the Great Sea, in one case he completely destroyed an island, laying it to waste. However, a hero arose from a small fishing village. The Hero of Winds as he is now known, retrieved the Master Sword from the Sealed Castle below the sea and in time gathered the shards of the Triforce of Courage. During this time I rediscovered my lost heritage. My mother died while I was still young, too young to know I was royal. It was the King of Red Lions, my ancestor who revealed it to me shortly after Ganondorf found me. Later, after I was hidden, he found me once again in my refuge deep within the Sealed Castle. The Hero of Winds came for me at Ganondorf's Tower beneath the sea, and it was there that he was defeated and destroyed... But not without a price." The crowd were spellbound, all eyes were focused on her. With a heavy heart she continued. "On that tower top, Ganondorf succeeded in taking the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage and assembled the true Triforce. But before he could make a wish upon it, King Daphnes beat him to it." She lifted her voice, a voice that now rang out with barely suppressed tears. "This was his wish... '_Gods of the Triforce, hear that which I desire! Hope, I desire hope! Give these children a future! Wash away this ancient land of Hyrule! Let a ray of hope shine on the future of the world! ...And may my people of old forgive me... Please... Let them have a future as well..._'" She bowed her head as many in the crowd cried out in denial at her words. When she looked at them once more, they could see the sunlight glinting off the tears running down her face. "Hyrule as you knew it is gone, as it the Great Sea which I grew up on. Both our worlds have changed, and it's time for the old and the new to stand together as one kingdom." Her voice began to tremble. "The king did what he had to, to save the world... His wish took away the only thing that had kept Ganondorf coming back again and again, but we... the people... remain." She glanced at Aryll before turning her gaze back to the crowd. "Long ago, the first queen to have faced Ganondorf, she who was the first of my family to hold the Triforce of Wisdom, told the Hero of Time something very important. '_It's not the land that makes a kingdom... it's the people_'. The old Hyrule is gone, but the new Hyrule we carry with us in our hearts will never die as long as we stand together... Will you stand with me? Do you accept me as your queen? What say you?"

Darthan had turned to watch her as she spoke, as spellbound as the rest. She stood there now, her eyes moving nervously across the assembled masses as she waited for an answer.

_And I though the queen I had known before the Sealing was strong for asking the gods to do what they did... but her strength is nothing compared to this one's... Do I accept her?_

He turned to face the crowd and shouted at the top of his voice.

"I will stand by her! ...All hail Queen Zyara!"

Komali, Aryll and Mila joined the cry.

"_All hail Queen Zyara!_"

The Six Sages echoed them.

"_All hail Queen Zyara!_"

Everyone in the Marketplace and the streets beyond cried out their agreement as they rallied to the call.

"_ALL HAIL QUEEN ZYARA!_"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra sat slouched in a chair looking out the window of Darthan's office, the emotions of the day having exhausted her. Out in the town the atmosphere was at a high, with people everywhere laughing and smiling as they went about their daily activities with renewed vigour. A far cry from the hushed whispers and gloom that had haunted the town since it was brought to the surface. She sighed, catching Darthan's attention as he finished his letter to the Mayor of Kakariko.

"It's strange... If you had told me five years ago that I would be queen of such an ancient kingdom as Hyrule... I'd have laughed at you and told you you were crazy."

Darthan frowned, still a little confused.

"You mentioned that you only learnt because the King told you, since your mother died when you were young. I have a question though. Why would you think it was crazy? What life did you live before you found out?"

Tetra chuckled.

"I was captain of a Pirate Ship called the Sea Spirit, the best pirate crew on the Great Sea I might add."

Darthan paused for a moment before chuckling as well.

"A Pirate becoming a Queen? I can see why you'd have though that. It certainly explains your attitude towards depending on others for defence."

Tetra sighed as she looked out the window once more.

"I'm not soft lady, pampered and coddled all her life. I'm the last person you want to pick a fight will because when I fight I don't always play by the rules... It's had to be like that, I don't think my family would have survived this long otherwise, even with the protection of Aryll's family."

It was Darthan's turn to look confused again as he regarded the blond haired girl who was sat alongside the other of Tetra's female companions. Komali was sat by the fire reading a book from one of Darthan's shelves.

"Aryll's family? I mean no offence but what is so special about them?"

Aryll giggled and got up, pulling out her pendant as she did so. Darthan who had just taken a sip of tea, spluttered when he saw it.

"Yeah, Link is my brother. My family gets around a lot so you shouldn't be surprised at seeing one of us in some random location. Why only a week ago I was at home on Outset when Farore decided to send me on a trip to the Sacred Realm. I was stuck in there for nearly four days until my brother got me and Rauru out. After that he took us to Windfall. Now, after having breakfast there this morning, I'm here in Hyrule Castle Town of all places, holding off drunkards and hearing Tetra make what has to be the most stirring speech she's made since the one she made when the islands unified under her rule." She laughed. "I think from now on I'll keep a bag permanently packed, that way I can grab it before I make any other unexpected trips."

Darthan, bemused, carefully set his teacup back on the desk and checked his letter for spots of tea where he'd spluttered. He shook his head wonderment at the day's events.

"It seems what you told me about not being surprised about new things the Queen does... needs to be applied to you as well."

As Aryll smiled, Mila looked up from the dress she was altering to fit the girl.

"I'd say you need to apply that to everything, not just Tetra and Aryll. The way things are right now it seems to me that that would be the better option."

Tetra chucked as she continued to look out the window.

"You may be right about that."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Oh dear... I'm out of chapter notes! (Runs around in panicked circles) I have a basic timeline and that's it! Ahh! MUST PLOT CHAPTERS THIS WEEK!**


	41. A New Beginning,,,

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the long wait guys, I had the Writing Bug for 'Hope' and 'Path' again. Two more chapters written on one and three on the other, along with about 6 major scenes done separate (sweatdrops).**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 41: A New Beginning...

Winds shrieked down from the sky, rousing the surface of the ocean to a white froth that made the waiting Mermen dive to avoid it. A cyclone, a brown blur in its heart, descended to touch the sea before disappearing, leaving behind a ship that spun in idle circles from the winds that had carried it. Link eased off his tight grip on the mast and shook his head to clear it, the deck still wavering before his eyes as a very disorientated Navi flew into the tiller, the rail, the mast, and even straight into the deck itself. She stayed put on the flat surface as she held her head, tiny green eyes almost crossed.

"Sooooo.... dizzy... How did you handle doing that... so often... during your journey?"

Link stood up, stumbling only a little before hoisting the sails and moving to the tiller bench.

"You get used to it, though I'll admit it's worse on the Red Lion than it ever was with the king. Maybe it's because the ship is bigger."

Navi groaned and folded her wings back, resigned to sitting there until she could see straight. Laughter echoed up from the water, as a dozen Mermen surfaced. One of them waved a fin to get Link's attention.

"Hand over those slates of yours, we have a whole load of map to draw out for you." Seeing Link's confused expression, he explained. "Well, when you sent us back, we decided that the waters in here weren't really that dangerous so we mapped out the northern coastline while we waited for you. The Rito have mapped the Southern Passage, so all that's left is the southern coastline. So hurry up, hand over the slates and we'll draw what we have."

Link fastened the dead man's line to the tiller and went below deck to get the slates. Within half an hour of holding out slates, he had a massive chunk of map to add to his charts. He looked at the pile, bemused.

"You guys weren't kidding, you even added all the sea currents and reefs. All this in only a week or so?"

All the Mermen shrugged.

"What can we say? We were bored."

The group of Mermen broke out into laughter once more as Link stared at them. After a moment he shook his head and moved over to the tiller bench. After removing the dead man's line, he grasped the tiller and steered the ship towards the southern coastline as Navi fluttered over to sit on his shoulder.

"Those guys are weird... I wonder if any of the Zora have met them yet."

Link shrugged.

"I don't know, but I get the feeling it would be interesting to watch."

Navi giggled as she settled herself against his neck.

"He he, now that _is_ something I'd like to see."

The ship fell into silence, the only sounds were those of the waves and the creaking of the Red Lion as the winds pulled on the sails and rigging. If things went well, they'd reach the southern coastline by morning.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The sleek figure glided through the water, the shadows of the farming frames overhead causing only occasional flashes of sunlight to glance off them as they swam beneath them heading for the open sea. As the last of them passed, the figure surged upwards to break the surface of the ocean in an arc of glittering spray. Irreilla laughed as she plunged back into the water once more. It had been several weeks now since she and Marren had been brought to Outset by Link, and the two of them had settled down to island life as though born to it. Just a few days before, a Zora had come to the island to escort them back to the Domain, but the two of them had politely declined. Determined to make a new start they had decided they would live in their new home, rather than in the isolation of the Domain. A little bemused at being turned down, yet accepting of their decision, the Zora had left to take word back to the rest of their people.

Irreilla sighed to herself.

"I wonder if any others will decide to migrate to island homes... It would certainly help bring the two sides together..."

"More of you out here? Well, you could at least ask the resident Fish for _our_ opinion."

Irreilla brought herself to a stop and looked around in confusion.

"Who's there? ...And what do you mean by 'resident Fi...' Ahhh!"

She back-pedalled as a Merman shot up from below her and stopped in front of her face. He grinned at her.

"I'm Fin, the leader of the small group of Mermen that live in the waters around Outset. Since Link brought you here we left you alone, we have a lot of respect for him so as people welcomed by him you're welcomed by us. We've been a bit busy lately, so we've not been around here for a while, but now that we're back it's time I gave you the low down. Your people are welcome to live in Islander waters as long as you get the permission of both the Mermen and the Islanders. Too many fish folk in one area would be bad for the sea, even if you guys eat fish rather than sea plants like us."

Irreilla blinked at him, her face frozen in a combination of confusion and bemusement. After a few moments she responded.

"Uh... I..." She blinked several more times. "I had no idea there was another aquatic race... So you're kind are called Mermen?"

His grin widened.

"Yup, and we're the ones that sailors turn to when they need info about water conditions in an area. They pay us of course, in food not money though. We can't exactly go onto an island and spend it. After all we don't have legs like you do, not that I'm complaining, swimming works just fine for me."

Irreilla continued to stare at him.

"...This is going to take some getting used to. In the past the only other sentient sea race was the Golden Seahorses, and they became extinct a long time ago when decade of bad storms ravaged their natural habitat. The Zoras who lived there were able to leave but the Seahorses couldn't since it was the only place where conditions were right for them to survive. I suppose it was only a matter of time before another showed up, but I'm still surprised."

Fin turned upside down, gazing at her innocently.

"Golden Seahorses, you say? Are you _sure_ they're gone? Because I happen to know that a group of about thirty just set up home in the central lagoon of Ice Ring Island. Apparently the inside of it is just like the home they had off the coast of Termina, at Pinnacle Rock. Though obviously it's a lot smaller."

Irreilla gaped at him in shock.

"They survived? But how? They were never seen again after all those storms. Where did they go?"

Fin shrugged, still upside down.

"I dunno." He tilted his head as though he just heard something. "I gotta go, toodles."

In the blink of an eye he was gone, leaving only a trail of bubbles rising to the surface from where he had been a moment before. Irreilla started at them, even more bemused than ever.

"That... was very strange..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_So anyway, Dad, that's what happened. You should have seen the look on their faces when me and Tetra tackled those drunks. It was priceless! The rest of the day was just being shown around the town a bit, then going to the Major's place where we were given use of the guest rooms. It's been a bit boring since then, Tetra's in another meeting with Mayor Darthan about something or other, Komali's reading more of Darthan's books, leaving just me and Mila with nothing to do since we've finished altering all those dresses for me to wear._

Aryll was slouched on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she 'spoke' to her father. As she sighed she heard him chuckle.

_It's not been much better here. The only interesting thing _I've_ had to do is draw out the new sections on the map as Link pictures them for me to 'see'. He got quite a surprise though when he caught up with the Mermen and found out they'd mapped the entire northern coast of the Inner Sea while they waited for him to come back... because they were bored._

Aryll burst into giggles and sat up.

_I wish I could have seen his face... Well sitting here isn't going to stop my being bored myself, so I'm gonna go take a walk. Darthan never said we had to stay in the building and I'd like to meet some of the people._

_That's fine, Aryll, but maybe you should take Mila with you as well. People may be tempted to try their luck against one knife wielding girl.. but not two..._

Aryll grabbed her money pouch and walked out the door, heading for Mila's room with a smile on her face.

_Thanks, Dad._

She felt him 'leave' just as she knocked on the other girl's door. After a brief scuffle inside the room the door opened and Mila looked out.

"What it is? Did any of the dresses not fit right when you tried them on?"

Aryll shook her head and smiled.

"Nope, I came to ask you if you wanted to come on a walk with me. I'm going to take a look around, talk to a few people. Y'know... gossip."

Mila grinned and dashed across her room, grabbing her shoes and her own money pouch before coming out and closing the door. She grabbed the younger girl's hand and dragged her towards the stairs.

"Let's go!"

They were both giggling as they went out the front door, waving to the guards as they passed and turned to go down the street towards the marketplace. The market that had been brought to a standstill earlier would now be in full swing and they were both itching to do some browsing among items that for them were from over a thousand years ago.

The market was packed, the stalls that lined the perimeter were crowded with shoppers whose chatter was a counterpoint to the shouts of the merchants who vied for their custom. The two girls began to make their way along the stalls, stopping to comment on different things that caught their eye. A few of the merchants clearly recognised them, one woman on a fruit stall even gave them a free apple each despite protests by the two girls.

"Seeing you two handle those two drunks was payment enough. Men these days seem to forget what a woman can do if she puts her mind to it. It's about time they were kept on their toes for a bit."

Returning the woman's smile and murmuring thanks, the two of them continued to explore the market, Aryll buying herself a bag that was the perfect shape to carry her telescope around with her, and Mila getting a shawl that had a pattern of ivy leaves stitched on it that matched one of her favourite outfits. They were just making their way along the final row of stalls when a voice murmured behind them.

"E-Excuse me..." They turned to see a group of young women standing there. The girl in the front looked at them nervously. "I'm sorry to disturb you but... Well when we saw you handle those drunks earlier we were wondering if you'd... If you'd teach us how to do that? We all work around the market, and help the merchants set up on a morning. Sometimes late a night we get bullied so... Well we know a little, but town girls like us never learn to use the kind of weapon that's useful to stop that kind of thing. Most of us only know how to use bows. The town elders say it's so if there's an attack we stay safe inside the town walls but can still help defend it."

Mila grinned.

"That's so old fashioned... I'd be happy to teach you. I worked on a shop myself until a few weeks ago when the Queen asked me to be her personal maid. Sometimes the sailors coming out of the cafe would be drunk even with Gillian, the owner, being careful not to let them drink to much. They almost always made some kind of crude comment, so I kept a cudgel behind the counter to knock some sense into them if they became too forward."

The girls relaxed and began to laugh. Aryll walked over to them.

"Is there a courtyard near here we can use to practice in?"

One of the girls nodded.

"The women's lodging house I stay in has one. The land lady definitely won't object to the rest of the girls there learning to use knives as well. Knowing her she'll want lessons herself."

The island girl grinned.

"Then lead the way and we'll give you your first lesson."

In a shower of happy laughter, the group of girls headed off into a side street leaving the noise of the market behind them as they chattered about island and mainland fashion, and the hopelessness of men when it came to doing chores.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Tetra and Darthan leaned over the map and moved sheets of notes around the desk as they debated the task before them.

"I agree, a joint village at the Castle Town Dock would be a much better idea than an all islander or all mainlander settlement. It'll give some of the people in the town the chance to learn a new profession and encourage friendship between the two groups. Though I'm sure the food that'll be harvested and sent soon will help a great deal to build trust and ease resentment."

Darthan nodded, his expression thoughtful.

"Yes, when it comes down to it the people of the islands are faced with much less change to their lives than those of us who were brought to the surface. There may indeed be some resentment, but it can't be helped. All we can do is help the people adjust and the resentment will fade in due course."

Tetra traced the location of the soon to be built new village.

"So what will we call it?"

Darthan smiled.

"I was thinking about Nae Lanai. It's from a language that was ancient when hyllian became the main language of Hyrule. It means New Beginning."

Tetra smiled.

"'New Beginning'" She sighed. "I like it... After all it's a time of new beginnings for everyone."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you go. 'Nae Lanai' is actually Sumaityr from my ToS fic, though that doesn't mean I'll be doing a cross over. Freakyanimegal has already done a ToS/Zelda crossover and I'm not gonna trespass on that turf... I doubt I could write one as good as hers anyway... I'm rubbish at different franchise crossovers, lol. I'll stick to this Zelda games crossover.**


	42. A New Path to Follow

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the wait, if you've read my ToS fic you'll know I lost my typing time to a Band job last weekend. I managed to find enough time mid week to get a Prequel chapter done but not one for this. Anyway, here's chapter 42.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 42: A New Path to Follow.

As the sea wind stirred his hair, Komali regarded the area near the Castle Town Dock, where the village of Nae Lanai would be built. Holding up the scrap of paper that Tetra had given him that morning and using it as a reference, he called on the Triforce of Power and levelled the land near the dock, adding the roads and streets she and Darthan had asked for. The task done he looked around at the new village, minus its buildings, and smiled.

"I've got to hand it to them, they've set the streets out a lot like the Castle Town, and yet this place is going to be a sailor's paradise through and through." He walked over to where Saria and the other sages were waiting for him. "Let's get to the end of the road section I put in this morning. I want to get that road to Kakariko done by tomorrow if it doesn't tire me too much to manage it."

He stepped into the centre of the circle they formed before they all vanished in a flash of light. Moments later they appeared at the end of the road heading north-east towards the east passage. Without hesitation, Komali pulled out his map of the roads and, checking his position against distant landmarks, added a cross to the road he was on, marking where he had gotten to.

Impa peered over his shoulder, curious.

"If what you did this morning is really the furthest you can reach, then it looks like ten mile sections would be best. You nearly fell over after doing the twelve miles of this section."

Komali pulled out a telescope and looked at the East Passage which was only about a mile away from them now. He sighed.

"After how I felt this morning, I don't think I can use the Triforce like that more than three or four times a day... At that pace I definitely won't get to Kakariko before tomorrow."

Darunia slapped him on the back, almost sending him sprawling.

"Don't look so glum. Think about how long it would have taken to make a road of this quality under normal circumstances."

The Rito Prince looked up and grinned at the one time King of the Gorons.

"You're right." He turned his gaze north again. "Well standing here isn't going to get us anywhere. Time to do the next bit."

His arm lifted, the symbol on his hand blazed, and power shot out across the land towards the Passage where it arced over the span of open water and onto the land beyond.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The centre of the market square was packed as people hurried to and fro between the piles of crates scattered about. This wasn't an impromptu market being held, it was an all out bedlam of carpenters, stonemasons, and other craftsmen, all making sure that all the materials and tools they would need were among the mess of boxes. At the edge of this mayhem stood Tetra and Darthan, both starting to look very harassed.

Tetra rubbed at her temples before checking another item off the list she held. With a sigh she glanced at Darthan.

"I organised the building of the Royal Compound on Windfall, but it was nothing like this, for a start I only had a fraction of the number of craftsmen to deal with... Do we really need this many?"

Darthan checked several items off his own list before answering.

"To be quite frank... no, we don't. However by gathering all the local craftsmen together on this we stop any rumours of favouritism and boost the overall moral of the town. Everyone feels so helpless at the moment, so the more people we can get involved in something constructive the better."

The young queen sighed.

"I guess you're right... At least I don't need to worry about finding Islanders to move to the new village. Just dealing with finding Mainlanders for it is proving a major headache. I have too many of one group of people and not enough of others. If I were to take the ones who've shown interest so far, the Mainland contingent would have about ten weavers, eight carpenters, a baker, two shoemakers and a local poet, plus their families. We need half a dozen farmers, a healer, merchants, a blacksmith, a tanner and a rope-maker at the very least or the village won't be self sufficient. I can only hope Eidan can find someone to fill those places since I plainly can't find anyone here for it."

"Well then I guess I have some good news for you then." Tetra spun round to see Aryll heading towards her. The girl grinned smugly as she tapped the side of her head. "Dad's talking to me, he says he's asked around the people who came to Windfall with the intention of moving to Saiweve. Almost all of them are happy to move to Nae Lanai instead. They don't have a blacksmith or a tanner, but the group has the rest of what you need plus a few more. Their ships set off this morning and they'll reach the dock by mid next week at the latest. They're bringing the early crops from the harvests of their old homes with them as well, plus about twenty barrels of sea crop seeds and a fair number of farming frames to be used next year."

Tetra sighed in relief.

"Tell him he's a lifesaver and that I need a report of the exact number and professions of those coming, and the cargo lists for the contents of the ships' holds."

Aryll whipped several sheets of paper out of her new bag and waved them in front of Tetra's face.

"You mean these?"

Tetra tugged the sheets off her with a half hearted scowl.

"You're enjoying your job as messenger between me and Eidan far too much. Don't you have anything better to do besides tease me?"

Aryll's grin widened and she patted the pack she had slung over her shoulder.

"Actually I do... Mila and I are teaching some of the market girls how to use a knife. Some of them get bugged by drunkards and such in the evenings and most of them only know how to use a bow. We're fixing that and I've just picked up the knives we helped them to buy from the weapon-smith down at the training yards. I admit we both spent most of the money we had with us on it, but it's for a good cause. See ya."

Tetra stood there silent for a moment as the girl waved and walked off towards a side street. She chuckled when she glanced sideways and saw the expression on Darthan's face.

"I'm guessing from them only knowing how to use bows, that the town council in charge here are rather old fashioned. Keep them inside the walls and they'll be safer, eh?" Darthan cleared his throat awkwardly, making Tetra grin. "So _that's_ why you were so shocked when I tackled that drunk, you've never met a woman who could use a blade before."

Tetra broke out into peals of laughter as the Town Mayor flushed with embarrassment and hurriedly began checking things off his list again. Suddenly she didn't mind the bedlam she was stood overseeing anymore.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Laughter rang out as a figure plummeted towards the waves and skimmed across the surface sending up a plume of spray that scattered over the ship's rigging, leaving the person perched there rather damp. Navi shook the droplets of water off herself and scowled at Link as he soared up and over the top of the ship's mast grinning down at her. She shot after him and shortly they were having a game of tag through the rigging, pushing Link's agility to its limits and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Eventually the hero caught hold of one of the ropes and propped his feet against the mast, breathing heavily from exertion. Equally tired, Navi perched on his head with a smile on her face, green hair tousled from her manic dashing about.

"That was fun! Can we do that again sometime?"

Link chuckled.

"Sure, just not right now. I think if I tried to fly anymore now I'd drop before I got past the bow."

Navi giggled before pointing off towards the coastline ahead of them.

"I don't think we have time to anyway, we're really close to the new dock now. Shall we stop by and pay your sister a visit?"

Link shook his head, nearly dislodging her from her perch.

"No, we really need to get the mapping done and check on Saiweve. Besides I know how my sister is doing, she talks to me about her day every evening before she goes to bed. Right now she and Mila are teaching some town girls how to beat up drunks." He grinned. "She told me that before now the town girls were kept mostly sheltered from fighting and only knew how to use bows. Now the class they hold has tripled in size from the one they started with, and the girls are showing what they've learned to the girls they don't have time to teach themselves."

Navi patted him on the head with a grin matching his.

"So your sister is turning the town on its head... Those girls' parents must be pleased."

Link laughed.

"Their mothers anyway. It's just as well I'm not one of those men that see women as being weaker. The men of the islands learned long ago that a woman is just as strong as a man when it comes to defending herself and those she cares about, and that's where it counts."

The Red Lion rounded the headland and the dock came into view causing Link and Navi to blink in surprise at the sheer number of people in the area around it. Beyond them was a mass of posts sticking upwards into the air... The beginnings of the new village of Nae Lanai. As the ship drifted past the dock, they spotted Tetra overseeing the work on one of the buildings. The people on the dock pointed at the Red Lion, drawing her attention to the ship. She smiled and waved at them as they continued on their way. Waving back, Link shouted across the water.

"Don't overwork yourself, Tetra, you hear me?! If I hear from Aryll that you've been pushing yourself too hard, I'll tell her to knock some sense into you!"

Tetra laughed and shouted back.

"I don't doubt it! Don't worry there's no way she's going to let me tire myself out like I was doing a few weeks back! Take care, Link, I'll see you when we next cross paths!"

Link jumped down from his spot in the rigging and fired a parting shot at her.

"Which given our record could be anywhere, probably the place we least expect!"

Tetra grinned, waving again before nudging the gawking carpenter next to her, prompting him and those around him to continue their work.

As the dock receded behind them the coast began to turn northward towards the entrance to the Eastern Passage. If the wind held they would be well into it by nightfall. The spray that was thrown up by the bow cutting through the waves cooled them as the mid day sun began to beat down on the deck. By mid afternoon the shore had turned to the north-east and was gradually arching round to true east as they finally reached the entrance to the Eastern Passage. When they passed the last promontory before the Passage, the two of them gasped in awe. On both sides the cliffs were over one hundred feet high, much like the cliff was in places along the North Passage, but unlike the North Passage these had a great bridge stretching between them. Perfectly level, it cut across the three and a half mile wide passage in a glorious white span. Curious, Link used his telescope and counted the arches. There were twenty-eight of them, which meant that each arch spanned the better part of two hundred meters. He lowered his telescope and started in wonder.

"...Nice work, Komali. Who knew you could be such and artist when it came to bridges?"

Navi nodded dumbstruck as she sat on his shoulder.

"Yeah..."

Numbly, Link worked out it's exact position and added it to his chart. Marking in the bases of the arches would be impossible given the chart's scale, but he added a note about them to the border of it so that he could describe their positions exactly for his father to add to the large map on Windfall. It was as the sun was just beginning to set that the Red Lion passed under it, as the light gilded the structure high above in gold and red. It was an experience that neither Link or Navi would ever forget.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Medli sighed as she pictured the Master Sword in her mind, casting her power out to find the object that matched the image. She had done this countless times already with no success. Contacting Makar had revealed he was doing as she was with the exact same results. For some reason, even with the power around the Great Sea settling, the Master Sword was masked from their magical senses.

She cursed.

"Why? Why are we still unable to find it? It should be like a beacon by now with so little disturbance left to hide it."

Shaking her head she pictured it again and renewed her search. All they could keep doing was try...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it. I'll try and get a mid week chapter up to make up for not updating last weekend.**


	43. Sticks and Stones

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the wait... again. I had a case of writer's block. It took me until mid-week to sort out the ideas for the next few chapters. Well, let's see how many chapters I can do in one day...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 43: Sticks and Stones

A soft snore drifted through the open window, birdsong trilling above the steady draw of the sleeper's breaths. Wood scraped against wood as a chair was pulled over to the nearby fireplace, and the man who sat there whittling a stick using a sailor's knife. Lyle smiled up at his best friend's son, setting the knife and stick on the table next to him.

"Well now, I'm gonna have to go check out that bridge for myself. Over three miles long, you said, with arches spanning two hundred meters? That I have _got_ to see."

Link sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him as he leaned back comfortably in the chair.

"I'm sure it's impressive to travel over it, but I'd say that sailing under it will top that for making you feel small. I felt tiny when the Red Lion when under it."

The hero pulled a slightly tattered envelope out of his pocket, examining it with a thoughtful expression as Lyle's green peered at it curiously.

"Who's it from?"

Link pointed to the orange, circle shaped seal over the envelope's flap.

"Nabouru, the Sage of Spirit. The Rito Postman game me it this morning, though it beats me why she sent a letter rather than asking Aryll to tell me. They only left the Castle Town to do the roads yesterday, yet this will have taken at least three days to reach me." He sighed. "I guess I might as well find out." The open envelope produced a scattering of sand that landed in his lap, brushing it onto the floor he pulled out a single sheet of paper. "_Dear Link, I know you'd planned to head to the Gerudo Dock after visiting Saiweve to help us clear the sea traps, but I think that might be a bit pointless. Before you get annoyed at my blunt refusal of help, think about what time of year it is now. I may not be an expert on farming, but even _I_ know that it's almost time for the last harvest to start. They're going to need your ship to help deliver the supplies to the mainland, though let Lady Tetra know that the Gerudo don't need any. The growing season in the desert ends in late spring, so my people already have their winter supplies stored and ready... and our summer and autumn supplies when you think of it that way._" Lyle chuckled at that part as Link continued. "_Feel free to visit us when you finally get time. We'll be looking forward to it, especially since your ancestor was the only foreign male to ever earn my people's respect. Back in those days I'll admit that we all thought men were useless, so that's saying something even if the other sages and I are the only ones who remember it... I made sure that my people knew of it, just because he returned to being a child after it all doesn't mean his achievements as an adult during his journey should be forgotten. You could say the only reason he's so famous is because the Sages and the Sage of Wisdom made such a big deal out of it. We were the only ones besides him and Navi who could remember. Well, I'll stop there, Gerudos were a race of thieving specialists, and I'm hardly setting a good example with my chatter. Noise is so unbecoming for a thief... Winds watch over you, or what ever it is your island friends say. Nabouru._"

Lyle chucked again, this time at Link's slightly confused expression.

"I think you have your answer about why she sent a letter, there's no way a person who thinks chatter is 'unbecoming' is going to send something like that through a middle man." He got up and headed for the door. "Come on, I'll show you around the village. A lot has changed since your last visit and we've almost finished the last of the houses."

With a smile, Link pocketed the letter, followed him out the door, and passed the blue lettered sign that declared the name of the house to be 'Willow Crest'... rescued from the wreckage of the barge on which the original house had stood. The path took them alongside the fence that Mara had built around her small herb garden at the side of the house, a garden that now echoed faintly with the snores of a certain forest fairy that was asleep in one of the bushes. Happy laughter rang down the wide street as a group of children charged past them towards the beach, several of which were waving long poles that were strung with string leading to a reel. Link stopped, tugging on Lyle's sleeve to get his attention.

"What were those poles they were carrying?"

Lyle peered after them, eyes narrowed until he spotted the group again and saw what Link was asking about.

"Oh, those... They're fishing rods. The boy who found the drawing of the fish traps found another set of pictures in that book that showed the rods. They're used for catching some of the larger fish that won't fit into the traps. It's also turning into something of a sport round here to see who can catch the biggest fish by using one." He turned to Link with a grin. "Do you want me to show you how to use one? I have a couple leaning against the back wall of the house."

Link grinned back at him.

"Sure."

Lyle trotted back to Willow Crest and went around the house to the back. A minute or so later he reappeared carrying two of the long poles, larger than the ones the children had been carrying. With a jerk of his head he indicated Link should follow him. Their path took them through the village's now bustling market square, small though it was, and beyond the last line of wooden houses to a place where several large rocks jutted out over the water. The sailor passed Link one of the rods and using his own, showed him what he had to do.

"You see, you put bait on the hook," he demonstrated with a piece of bait, "and cast it out into the water. Then you wait until you feel a fish bite and you reel it in. It's simple in theory, but bringing a fish in is a lot of work."

His line was cast out in a graceful arc, a small splash marking where the hook had landed in the water. Copying the motion, Link pulled out a length of line, added the bait, pulled the tip of the rod back and swung... to a jarring halt. Turning to see what had happened, he found that his hook had snagged in the coarse grass that grew behind the rocks. With a sigh he got up, untangled the line, and then sat himself down again. Once again the rod tip tilted backwards, this time with Link glancing over his shoulder to check it didn't hit the grass again. He swung again, only this time for the baited hook to sail overhead, pull up short when the line went taut, and swing back nearly hitting Link in the face. Lyle spluttered with laughter.

"You have to let go of the reel at the top of the swing or the line won't unwind."

Link glared at him for a moment before casting again. This time the hook landed in the water, though not as far out as Lyle's had. The two of them settled down to wait, each jumping in expectation when they felt their line twitch. Eventually, after nearly an hour, Link's reel began to spin wildly. With a shout he grabbed the handle and started winding.

"Lyle! I've got something!"

The sailor wedged his own rod into a gap in the rocks and came over to watch as Link fought against the pull of the fish he'd hooked. A few minutes of excited shouts and instructions later, Link was holding a small fish. It may have been small, but the smile on Link's face as he held up his first fish made it clear he didn't care. It was at this point that Lyle's rod jerked violently. Unnoticed by the two of them, his line had been unwinding for over a minute, the jerk was the cord finally pulling taut as the reel of line ran out. Lyle launched himself at the rod, the line snapping just as he reached it. Unfortunately for him, at this point he was going too fast to stop and so with a yell of surprise he tripped over his wedged rod and fell into the water. It was also unfortunate for him that Mara chose that moment to come walking around the corner of the nearby house in search of them. One look at the very wet Lyle trying to scramble back up onto the rocks, with a fish holding Link standing over him, was all it took to send her into peals of laughter as the man's face turned bright red.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Komali stepped slowly through the village gate, the six sages following in his wake. Eyes travelled over the many houses and on up to the windmill that over looked them from the hill beyond. Beyond that, he knew, was the graveyard where Impa's temple could be found. The Sage of Shadow came forward as he seemed to pause uncertainly.

"Is something wrong?"

He looked over her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing. It's just that as I looked at this place I had a feeling almost like I was coming home. Just a slight tug, like I knew this place already."

Impa looked at him eye to eye, and for the first time really took in what colour the boy's were, in fact what the colour of the eyes of all the Rito she had seem to date were. Rich scarlet, the eyes of a Sheikah. She glanced back at her fellows as the prince looked at her confused.

"I think I know why I haven't seen any Sheikahs among the island hyllians. It never occurred to me before as to why all the Rito we've seen have red eyes."

Komali was suddenly the uncomfortable object of scrutiny as they all peered at him. Saria chucked as he stepped back a little in consternation.

"I think you might be right, and it would explain why he felt the way he did just now." She explained it to the still puzzled Komali. "This village is the home of all the remaining Sheikahs, the Shadow Folk. The Shadow Temple is the one to which they have the greatest affinity so they settled here back in the beginnings of Hyrule, though this didn't become an official village on the Hyrulian maps until Impa swore her service to the Royal Family in return for the village being placed under its protection. If you really have Sheikah ancestors then it's only natural this place would seem familiar. It's one of the foundations of the oldest magics that blood remembers even when the mind does not. The Sages of Earth and Wind are proof of that, when you consider the tens of thousands of years between the births of the original sages and their descendants who have replaced them."

Nodding in agreement, Komali relaxed.

"Though I'd like to point out that my father's eyes are amber." Heading into the village proper, he passed the familiar sight of a Rito Postal Service post box. He stopped to look for a moment. "So how long has that been there? I didn't realise someone had been sent with one already."

"I put it up last week, though it was a pain carrying it here, even flat-packed in pieces." The youth looked up to see a Rito walking over. It was Hierin, one of the four Rito who had first visited the village. "It's good to see you're well, Prince Komali. Your father was a little concerned over your heading off to build the roads, using a power that so new to you. At least now I can let him know I've seen you myself and tell him that you're fine." He waved an arm around at the nearby houses. "After Quill and I showed the villagers how to chase off the Kargorocks, they really wanted to stay in touch with us in particular. As I result I'm now officially the Head Officer of the Kakariko Route. I'm still a bit surprised at such a major promotion. My main job before was Junior Sorting Officer, I only went out on postal runs if someone was ill and a fill-in was needed."

Komali grinned, patting him on the back in congratulations.

"That's great news, Hierin. You deserve it after all the work you've put in helping the people here. So... are you going to introduce me to some of them?" With an answering nod, Hierin started back the way he had come. Komali glanced at the sages. "I'll meet up with you in an hour if that's ok. I'll get the road up to the Goron City done after than and we can spend the night there."

Ruto waved him on.

"You go and meet the villagers, we'll go and wait in the Shadow Temple. We'll meet you by the North Gate in an hour."

In a flash six orbs of light streaked overhead and past the windmill, while below the two Rito moved towards the village's cafe, chatting about what had happened over the past few days.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Komali slowed from his run and came to a stop as the Zoran woman in the group waiting for him turned to look down the hill at his approach. She inclined her head, smiling slightly as the noonday sun shone down on her.

"So how did it go?"

The prince looked back at the village, red tile roofs forming random steps down the hill to the village green. An occasional voice or happy shout could be heard, along with the odd distant groan from the windmill's sails.

"The people of Kakariko are just like the people I met in Hyrule Castle Town. Friendly, resourceful, and willing to welcome all those who pass through their gates so long as they don't cause trouble. It's the same on the islands, so what it comes down to is that the morals of the people haven't changed in all this time, so friendship between the two won't be hard to encourage. Some how I don't think it will take long for the new Hyrule we're creating to prosper as well as, if not better than, the Hyrule of the past." He pulled his map out of his pocket. "Speaking of creating, Darunia, what sort of road should I put up the Goron City? With the eruptions up there I don't think the road type I created between here and the Castle Town would last long."

Darunia tapped his foot on the bare rock they stood on, the heavy thumps making it vibrate beneath them.

"A surface like this would be fine. Most of the original road should be there, since it seems the mountain is the area least affected by the washing away of the kingdom. All you really need to do is clear out any fallen rubble blocking the road that's already there and stabilise the rocks either side of it." Seeing the prince puzzling over how to stabilise the rocks, he made a suggestion. "You could just fuse them together, it doesn't need to be neat. The battering of eruptions will dent whatever you do over time anyway."

Pocketing the map again, Komali lifted his hand and called on his power. Sure enough he found the road Darunia had described. He was surprised, it was almost completely untouched, with only one area requiring his attention to repair. He lowered his hand again, eyes meeting those of the Sage of Fire.

"The entire road is still there, I only had to fix one section... the rest is fine."

Darunia smiled broadly and clapped his hands.

"Well then, let's get up to the City so I can show you around."

In the blink of an eye he picked Komali up and vanished, not asking for the other's help in transporting the youth. Nabouru shook her head and chuckled.

"I know he's close enough to his temple here to transport the prince on his own, but still, that was plain old showing off."

Saria skipped towards the North Gate, peering back at the Gerudo as she stopped.

"Look at it this way. He only shows off like that when he's in a good mood, so that means he'll probably call for a big party tonight... and I have my ocarina with me."

Suddenly visions of dozens of Gorons dancing ecstatically to Saria's music had them chuckling. Even the Sage of Light unbent enough to laugh a little, letting his usually solemn expression fade as his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Let's get going before he decides to make the boy his Sworn Brother. You all remember how he nearly flattened Link all those years ago. I'm surprised he didn't give him a concussion."

They nodded in agreement, and once again lights soared across the sky.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

As Komali looked over the edge and down the many terraces below, he couldn't help but wonder how they kept it so cool in here. Just outside the entrance to the city it was warm enough to make him sweat, yet in here the temperature was pleasant despite the glow of molten lava he could see coming from a few passages on the far right of the great caldera of the city. An echoing cry shuddered through the air, almost making him fall over the edge of the terrace in surprise.

"Big Brother! Big Brother Darunia is back!" A huge boulder tumbled along the ledge towards them, making Komali wonder how it could roll when there was no slope... That is until it stopped and unfolded itself to reveal it was actually a Goron. The Goron looked at him curiously. "Who is your little friend, Big Brother?"

Darunia slapped a hand down on Komali's shoulder, almost making his knees buckle.

"This is Prince Komali of the Rito Tribe out in the islands. He's the new Keeper of the Triforce of Power and he's using it to create the new roads between all the settlements."

The Goron goggled at them, looking back and forth between the sage and the youth. Finally, after several seconds of blinking, he regained enough composure to talk.

"I'll go and let everyone know and call the musicians to the bottom level so we can show him proper Goron hospitality."

The Goron rolled away again, leaving Komali a little confused.

"Who was that... and why did he suddenly become so formal?"

Darunia sighed.

"That was Dorod, one of the Welcomers. They take turns to stay up near the city entrance and welcome visitors. Sometimes it would be a messenger from the King or Queen so they all made sure they knew formal manners... That he used them with a guest of mine, with me standing here, means that you unnerved him."

"Well after all the trouble it's been used for before now, meeting the owner of the Triforce of Power will tend to do that."

The two of them turned to see the other five sages coming down the entrance ramp from outside. Nabouru waved a finger at the Sage of Fire.

"Next time wait for use before dashing off like that. I know you're immensely proud of your people and like to show them off to visitors, but do bear in mind that strange events can make people nervous. I'm surprised that poor Goron didn't roll away trembling with terror after the shock you just gave him."

Darunia looked away, clearing his throat as he actually blushed with embarrassment. It was Saria who finally decided to rescue him. With a giggle she pulled her ocarina and began tossing it casually into the air.

"So are we going to get the party started? Nobody's seen dancing until they see a Goron do it."

Darunia's grin returned as he picked the Kokiri girl up and sat her on his shoulders. With no further word he set off after Dorod, Saria's laughter echoing around them.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well there you go... (Sighs) Bummer, I planned to put up at least 3 chapters of this today but only got 1 done. Oh well, I'll try and get at least 1 up tomorrow. Happy reading.**


	44. Reminiscence

**Alaia Skyhawk: Please don't kill me, I've been really sidetracked lately, namely with making vids to go on Youtube and update overloading on my ToS fics. Sorry for the incredibly long wait.**

**Also, I've updated my profile. The story section has been moved closer to the top making it easier to find and it also contains some info on two other stories I'm planning. One is a Zelda fic so check it out if you're interested.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 44: Reminiscence

Back and forth, back and forth, so moved the group of villagers that were loading the Red Lion and the tow barge behind it with supplies. It was a calm day, the sea unwavering, and the wind in the perfect direction. It was sufficient to say, they were going as fast as they could trying not to miss the evening tide with the wind being so good.

Link wiped the sweat from his brow as he stacked yet another heavy sack among those that already filled the barge to near full capacity. They were almost done, as he'd agreed earlier now that the end was in sight he'd go and rest so he wouldn't be too tired to sail this evening. A few flaps of his wings sent him gliding towards the beach a short way from the pier, where Marren and Irreilla were sitting in the surf.

Looking up as he approached, the Zoran woman gave him a wave.

"Hoy, Link! Almost done?"

Landing on a small rock near to them, Link took off his boots and dangled his bare feet in the water.

"Yeah, if I do anymore now I'll get told off." He looked back at the ship and the barge. "Y'know, sometimes I still can't believe how much things have changed these last few months. Before the land rose I was working as just a parcel delivery guy, but now I've been mapping, racing around with messages, and now delivering supplies to the Mainland Settlements. Then again I suppose given my history I should be used to this kind of thing by now."

Irreilla laughed.

"Link, you've managed to surprise the Sages a few times, and they've been around through strange things for over two and a half thousand years. I don't think _anyone_ would get used to it no matter how much it happened. All they can do is take things in their stride like we've all had to do."

Link thought this over, kicking little splashes of water up with his feet.

"I have a question. What was Hyrule like before it was sealed? I'm just curious about what life was like then. All I've known is islands and ocean, so life without the sea has me wondering."

Surprised, the woman fell silent, though her fellow Zora was a little quicker off the mark.

Marren shifted himself around a little so he could see Link better before beginning his story.

"Well for us, it was definitely a lot different from what we have now. Irreilla and I worked with the fishermen of the Village of Testra. It was a small village in the middle of Hyrule, but off to one side from the main trade route. With so much land, cattle were popular farm animals, and it was a poor farm indeed that didn't have at least one or two of them. The Lake near Testra was fed by one of the few springs besides the one at Zora's Domain, and so Irreilla and I volunteered to spend a few years watching over it before another pair would take a turn. The Zora's duty to the Royal Family was that we'd sworn to look after Hyrule's water. Water is key to life, so it was a great honour for our people to be trusted with such a role. Watching over the spring didn't take all our time, so that's why we would help the fishermen on the lake, leading them to the fish and letting them know when they'd taken enough and the rest would have to be left alone. Other times we'd go onto the land and help with the animals. Because we look so different they would back off from us, which was really useful when one of the cows was being stubborn about going into a barn. It was a quiet life, but we liked it. Things all changed though when Ganondorf returned."

Irreilla picked it up from there.

"We were in the lake when it happened. Underwater, we could hear the great tremor that shook the land. When it passed the water in the lake lost its life, the water plants began to die and the fish to starve without them. We called through the waters of the river from the lake, sending word to the other Zoras who were at certain points downstream. It wasn't long after that that a voice shook the air, commanding the villagers to move to a town some distance away. Only one family within the village was told to go to one of the chosen mountaintops, the rest were to face the Sealing."

Marren put an arm around his companion's shoulders.

"We decided to stay at the lake. It was our responsibility to look after it, and we were going to stay no matter what. Neither of us remember much of the Sealing itself, just a sudden feeling of being sleepy, and then waking up again on the surface of the ocean with no idea what had happened."

Glancing out across the ocean to the horizon, the young hero then looked up to watch the clouds passing overhead.

"It sounds a lot like life here on Outset, but with the fishing and the cows. We have pigs here, but that's because they're nature's best scraps disposal. You can feed them practically anything, so they're the only farm animal the islanders could easily keep with so little land to spare. When I think about it now it wasn't really _that_ different back then, the only thing that makes things strange now is that everyone is having to get used to all the small changes. They may be small, but they still need us to look at and do things slightly differently from before. I guess it's just the shock of it all that's made it all seem so strange."

The two Zoras smiled, Irreilla looking up at the sky as well.

"I think you're right. Now that Marren and I are used to the little differences, life here on Outset _isn't_ much different from Testra. And with Jabun nearby we've been watching over the entrance to his cave like we watched over the spring. When we look at it like that, things really _aren't_ that different."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three oldest residents of the island sat looking out at the sea, enjoying the autumn sunshine that turned Vallandra's balcony into a warm sanctuary behind the simple wind screen she'd put up behind them to block the flow of cooler air from the west.

Seeing the bustle down at the docks Orca couldn't help but sigh as memories came forth at the sight.

"Sailing the seas... Adventure, exploration, the challenge of the waves, ah how I miss it at times. I haven't set foot on a boat for more than twenty years, but there are days when I'd like nothing more than to grab my sword and hoist sail once more."

Regarding the man in the chair beside her, Vallandra gave him a small nudge.

"You're hardly too old for it. Why I don't think you've lost an ounce of your fitness since you last sailed, and even now the Gyorgs avoid Outset thanks to you and your skill with a harpoon spear. Think about that one you got just last year, another twelve footer who's jaws now hang with the many others on your walls. Why don't you ask Link if you can come? He's only going to be delivering the supplies and then he'll be coming back with Eidan and Aryll for the Harvest Festival and to wait out the end of autumn storms. Go on, get yourself down there."

Orca sighed again.

"Maybe another time. With his father and sister on board for the return trip it's going to be cramped as it is. I might ask to go with him on one of his postal runs next year, during the summer maybe."

Sturgeon tugged thoughtfully on his beard, his face distant with reminiscing.

"I miss those days as well. Books are useful, they last long past the time when you could teach someone yourself, but they don't compare when it comes to the thrill of racing over the waves and wielding a sword." Orca and Vallandra stared at him. He snorted. "What? You thought just because I complained about my brother being all brawn meant I didn't miss it myself? Don't put me out of a fight just yet. If I wanted to I could still give any young whipper snapper a run for their money, you mark my words. A swordsman doesn't forget his craft just because he hasn't used it for a while."

Orca laughed.

"Oh you're right about that. We'll both have to ask Link if we can come, it would promise to be an interesting trip."

Vallandra laughed as well.

"Indeed it would, and if you don't ask him I'll do it myself. It'll do you both good to get out and about on the sea once more."

Conversation turning to other things from the 'good old days', the three of them continued their sit in the sunshine as the gulls glided on the wind overhead.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Holding back a yawn, Komali continued to sort letters into the shelves of the sorting booth. There were more of them now, with ten shelf spaces instead of the original six. The bird from the crest of the royal family, done in yellow, was the symbol for Hyrule Castle Town and the outlying farms. The Sheikah eye symbol, in purple, was the one for Kakariko and Death Mountain. Zora's Domain and the villages near Lake Hylia used the Water Temple symbol, in blue, as their mail mark. Finally, a simple representation of sand dunes, done with three curved lines in orange, representing the Gerudo Dock. There weren't many letters going to those destinations at the moment, but if things continued to pick up at the rate they'd been the last two weeks since he'd gotten back from doing the roads, he was sure that by spring next year there'd be as much mail going to those places as there was going between the islands.

He mulled over one of Tetra's ideas. She had suggested that people from both the islands and the mainland write a short note with their return address to be randomly handed to someone elsewhere. The idea was to start up a series of pen friendships between islands and mainland, with those involved in the scheme getting cut priced mail to their pen friend for the first year, to be subsidised from her own funds. He liked the idea, and had mentioned it in every town and village he'd passed through while doing the roads. With any luck they could start it up come spring once things had settled a little. There was little point in starting it now, not with the end of autumn storms just a few weeks away.

Tossing letters with a practiced hand, he continued to sort, thinking over how his life had changed in these past few years.

_To think that over four years ago, before I met Link, I was a scared little boy with very little faith in my own strength. I hid from the world after that day I went to see Lord Valoo and he descended into rage as I arrived. If only I'd known then that it was because he was being attacked from the chamber below. Link showed me how to be brave, to face my fears. I don't think I'd be the person I am if it weren't for him inspiring me._

Another batch of letters were nimbly flipped into the openings.

_Link is like a brother to me, and he's taught me a lot about how to deal with the things that cross my path. I used to be scared of the thought of becoming Chieftain of the Rito someday, but now I see it just as another challenge to be faced head on._

He glanced at his hand, the symbol he knew was there hidden for now.

_And becoming the Keeper of the Triforce of Power is no different. It's a challenge, and one I'm determined to master. Nothing will make me stray from my path._

Confident in himself, Komali once again held back a yawn at the late hour and continued to sort letters. He'd have plenty enough to do a couple of weeks from now when the Kargorock cull took place. When that time came quiet moments like this would be a memory for several days, as the Rito waged a miniature war on the nests found round the north-eastern side of Dragon Roost.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Hands moving the papers from the 'to read' pile to the 'read' pile, Eidan sighed and stopped before looking out the window.

_Harvest Festival... the first I'll spend without Ahria..._

Resting a head on his hands, he thought about one of the best days of his life.

_Harvest Festival, it was at one of those that I first started courting her, and at another that I asked her to marry me. What will it be like, spending this one without her?_

Lost in thoughts of times long past, Eidan continued to look out the window. He would know soon enough what spending one without her would be like.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there it is, the first chapter I've put up in about 4 months. Sorry again about the long wait, I'll try and keep the updates more regular from now on.**


	45. Harvest Festival

**Alaia Skyhawk: And here's another chapter. I'll update my other fic tomorrow and hopefully this one again the day after.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 45: Harvest Festival

The cheers that had greeted his ship as he'd rounded the headland made the whole trip worth it. Towing the barge through the South Passage had been difficult, as wide as the Passage was, and disconnecting the tow lines to the Red Lion had been a relief. The barge would stay here until spring when the merchant it had been borrowed from would come to get it.

Sending the Red Lion surging ahead of the now drifting barge, Link did a sharp turn and sailed back towards it. Two thick coils of rope were thrown out to hook on thick posts along the side of the barge, the force of the Red Lion pulling on them in the opposite direction bringing the craft to a stop just far enough off shore that once it was anchored the end of autumn storms wouldn't make it run aground.

Leaping over to the other deck, Link sent the barge's two storm anchors plummeting into the water before returning to his ship and casting off the lines once again. Bringing the Red Lion to the dock, he disembarked only to be enveloped in a hug from one of the Nae Lanai residents that had come from the mainland. The former island members of the community kept back, grinning at Link as the young man was enthusiastically greeted and thanked for bringing the supplies. This barge was the last of several being sent with various captains, and the food it contained would guarantee that no one among those Sealed would starve this coming winter.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_You ready, Dad?_

Link focused on his father, his sister by his side watching as he readied himself to pull Eidan to the deck of the Red Lion as it surged homeward. At receiving an affirmative he did as he had done with Aryll and sent a burst of his power along the link to his father before calling it back. Again that strange symbol flashed before his eyes, but this time he was prepared and his father arrived safely on deck, rather than in the water like his sister had.

Watching as his sister greeted their father, Link frowned.

_I wonder what that thing was. Why does it keep bothering me every time I my power does something? First in that dream about Saria giving that ocarina to my ancestor, then when I got Aryll and Rauru out of the Sacred Realm, and now again when I'm pulling Dad to me in the same way. I wonder if it's the gods doing something, or maybe just some quirk of my family's power._

Abandoning that train of thought for now, Link moved over to greet his father as well. Things were complicated enough right now without worrying over something insignificant.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three sisters watched as the ship continued on its way, the three people on it settling down to watch the sea drift by.

Farore smiled.

"He's really getting the hang of that. He did it first try this time, not bad for only the second occasion he's used it."

Nayru nodded in agreement.

"Indeed." She glanced over her shoulder at the silver haired goddess who still observed them from nearby. "Mother, what do _you_ think of his progress."

Kyayna simply regarded her daughter without a change to her serene expression.

"We've already established he has potential, but then the Hero of Time had as much potential as he does. Promise is nothing if it doesn't come to fruition, and so I have no other opinion than that."

The third of the sisters, Din, frowned.

"Mother..."

The Goddess of Creation cut her off.

"That is enough. Attend to your observations as you should. Time still flows, and even now the Balance's righting of itself creeps closer. Keep your attention on that which you have just altered, for even though you are separate from that world those such as Aryll see the coming changes through your eyes. She will need you if she it to see it when it comes."

Accepting the reprimand, the three goddesses returned to their watch. This was their duty until the coming event unfolded itself.

Keeping up her vigil over her daughters, Kyayna's eyes were sad.

_So much time and still the pain of losing my son haunts me. But he chose his path on his own for the sake of that world. For me to guide my daughters in creating a similar situation to the one that cost him his life, it's little comfort to know that there won't be another Cataclysm. Family is still family and no matter the circumstances it's still painful to lose them, divine goddess or not. I hope that this succeeds, but how long will it be before the Balance begins to reverse it, and how long after that will it be before the people notice?_

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Laughter rang out across the village and up the terraces, as a group of the village women arrayed themselves before the rest of the villagers and began to dance. Headdresses and skirts made from the cut off leaves from certain of the crops rustled with every step, adding their sound to the foot stomping rhythms of the music. It was an old village tradition, and every island settlement had its own variation. The music and the dances themselves might vary, but the thought behind this display was the same, a celebration of the end of the harvest and the efforts that made it possible.

Link and Eidan waited on the sidelines of the dancing square that had been marked out on the grass above the beach. Both of them wearing their own headdresses, their arms and legs hung with tassels made from the same type of leaves, they waited for the heavy drum beat that would signal their turn to join the dance. It came, and the two of them, along with the other village men taking part, leapt into the square, taking up the dance as the women weaved around them while the sound of their stamping steps took up where the women had left off.

Grinning, Aryll twirled between her father and brother, her feet lightly tracing patterns into the dusty packed earth of the dance square. Watching her pass, Eidan couldn't help but feel a pang of grief that Ahria wasn't here as well. It was during a Festival Dance that he'd first realised he loved her, the smile on her face as she'd danced capturing his heart. Turning his attention back to the dance he realised that it was almost to the point where the women would step to the sidelines to give the men more room.

The beat changed again as long staves were thrown in to half of the men. Grabbing the pole that was tossed to him he began the low sweep that Link as his partner in this section would have to jump over to get behind him. His son did it perfectly, the stave swinging upwards to come together with the others in a clash of wood. Holding the pole in place, Eidan planted the end in the dust at his feet and braced it by putting his foot against where wood met dirt. Ten men faced inwards looking up at the interlocking points of ten poles. Ten men behind them leapt to the shoulders of the first in time with the music before taking the second step that would carry them to the apex of the new structure. Each man grabbed the arm of the one opposite, with one foot resting on a ridge in the pole each individual stood on. This was a feat of cooperation, symbolic of the efforts the people faced yearly to survive and the team work that let them do it.

The women moved back in, ten of them moving in to brace the men holding the poles, followed by the other ten who were then pushed up on to the shoulders of those men to clasp the waiting hand of the man stood on the pole the first held.

Aryll's weight resting on his shoulders as she clasped her brother's hand, the three family members held their part of the formation as the first women took hold of the waists of the second ones, pulling back along with the first men. The tips of the poles unlocked, the men perched on them gripping those tips as they were lifted upwards. Like a flower opening in time to the beating drums the poles rose with their burdens, before the men pulled the second group of women upwards and leap from their perches to land on the ground behind. This was symbolic of the help of people allowing others to rise above obstacles, and the courage needed to take the final leap into the unknown.

With the weight gone from them, the poles were flung skyward by the force of the lift. Arching upward, they came down towards those who had just leapt, caught in unison by each waiting pair in a flourish of drums. Freed of the burden, the first men and women turned to face the second who bowed in representation of the thanks given by those helped to those who had helped them as the music rose to a final crescendo.

Silence fell, before a moment later the watching villagers broke into cheers for the dancers. It had gone perfectly, with no one falling during the final part, a good omen for the coming year as the tradition went.

The dancers broke apart as everyone headed to the waiting tables of food. It wasn't as extravagant as normal this year, what with giving so much to those who had been Sealed, but it was still a fair spread and everyone eagerly tucked in. Once the food was gone and the sky was beginning to darken the dancers moved back to the dance square, but this time they stacked their headdresses in the centre, laying out tassels and skirts to form trails to the mound of leaves. Taking lit torches the dancers, now wearing only their simple shirts and leggings, lit the trails before they all watched the pile turn into a bonfire. The ashes would be stored in urns until spring when they would then be scattered on the fields of Outset, returning nourishment to the soil for the coming year.

Watching the flames begin to die down, Eidan sighed softly. Watching them, he thought about Ahria, the memory of her dancing in his mind's eye. Losing her was like the burning of those leaves, but time would come when the ashes would breathe new life into that which was to follow, just as his memories of her would help him to stay strong for the future. Yes, that was what she'd want him to do, stay strong for their family and for the people who needed them. He was sure that if he held to that, wherever her spirit now resided she would be looking down on him smiling.

The Harvest Festival was over, the sun having set and the fire now down to embers that were scooped into the urns awaiting them. He headed home with his family, finally at peace.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Second chapter in a day. I hope you liked it. A bit of plot, a bit of foreshadowing, a bit of Kyayna's view, and a bit of Eidan/Ahria fluff. I enjoyed writing that. Happy reading :D**


	46. Storm Bound Stories

**Alaia Skyhawk: And here's another chapter. It's a looooooooooong one! :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**A Line of .~~~. marks the start and end of a flashback/past event.**

Chapter 46: Storm Bound Stories

Winds howled across the surrounding sea as rain pounded down upon the island. The end of autumn storms were now in full swing, with the north facing shutters on every house sealed against the incessant barrage coming from that direction. It was like this every year without fail, two weeks of punishing weather during which no one went outside unless they absolutely had to. When the storms abated the temperature would drop and winter would hold the Great Sea in its icy grip, but for now the people waited indoors, snug by the hearth fires as stories were passed around.

Sipping cups of hot soup, four family members and a forest fairy chatted by the light of the fire. For the last week Eidan had regaled them with stories of his journeys on the Time's Gale with Lyle, after that Link had told tales things he'd seen on his own travels with the King of Red Lions. With those sources of stories exhausted it was the smallest of them that stepped in to take up the tale telling.

Holding the thimble that had been given to her as a substitute cup, Navi perched on the edge of the hearth stone and cleared her throat.

"You've all heard stories and legends of the Hero of Time, or read things from his journals, but those don't tell all the things that happened, or only tell you so much. I was there, so I know there were many times that he _didn't_ write about, and that people never saw or heard of, and certainly there was the years before he left the Kokiri Forest for the first time. I wasn't his partner back then, but all the forest fairies knew him. 'The boy without a fairy', that's how he was known. One who was thought to be a Kokiri and yet there was no fairy that felt drawn to him. He lived alone, without that companionship, having only his friendship with Saria to lighten his days..."

.~~~.

"Hey, Mr. No Fairy! Move, that's _my_ lookout spot!"

The blond haired boy was pushed to the ground by the red head that stood over him.

The youth, looking only seven years old to the red head's ten, glared back at him with resentful blue eyes.

"The Great Deku Tree said forest belongs to all of us, Mido. This lookout is more than big enough for both of us to sit here so we should just share... Not push each other over just because we want to feel big and tough."

The youth may have said 'we', but it was obvious he'd meant 'you'.

Mido scowled, but because of the wording he couldn't retaliate, not without giving the blond haired boy a valid excuse to complain about him to their friend Saria.

"...Fine, we can share... Link."

The use of his proper name was as close to an apology as Link would ever get from Mido. He could live with it though, as far as he was concerned Mido wasn't worth the effort of making true friends with. At best they would have a truce, and nothing more.

Both of them sat on the ledge looking down at the tiny village of tree stump-like houses that were the homes of the Kokiri. There were only sixteen Kokiri, sixteen child-like people sharing five houses, three of which were occupied by only a single individual each. The three with their own were the Deku Tree's 'favourites'. Those he deemed deserved or had earned the right to their own private rooms. Two of those three were sat at opposite ends of the ledge occasionally glaring at each other. The third was their friend Saria. The remaining thirteen children shared the other two houses, the girls in one and the boys in the other. Those two homes were always noisy when night fell, shrieks of laughter drifting on the night air as the occupants had pillow fights and the like.

Unknown to the two boys on the ledge, they were the objects of attention for a group of giggling forest fairies who nudged each other as they chuckled.

"Looks like those two are at it again. What do you think, Navi? How long do you think the truce will last this time?"

Silvery green eyes regarding the boys from beneath the ruffled green hair on her head, Navi thought it over.

"Hmm, from they way they're glaring, I'd say two days at most before Mido starts picking on him again. Why does he do it? It's not Link's fault there isn't a fairy yet who feels kinship with him. Someone should remind Mido that he was the _last_ of the other Kokiri to get a fairy partner and it took nearly fifteen years. Link's not even ten yet, so him not having a fairy right now isn't really that big a deal."

The group of fairies returned to their watch, thinking over what Navi had just said.

.~~~.

"Mido was really tough on Link back then, the funny thing is after Link left and Saria became the Sage of the Forest Temple, he finally accepted that he was jealous of Link being best friends with her. After I returned to the forest after Link died, I'd hear Mido mutter to himself all the time about how he wished Link would come back so he could say sorry." All eyes were on Navi, the family's attention captured by the thought of hearing more about their ancestor. Putting her now empty thimble cup down beside her, the fairy continued. "When the Deku Tree asked me to become partners with Link, I was a bit sceptical. I'd never felt the need to pair up with anybody, I was quite happy on my own but he had his reasons. I'm the sister of the leader of the forest fairies, so I knew a lot more about the world than any of the other forest fairies did. I was always being sent off by my sister to visit one Great Fairy or another, because of that I'd seen a lot of the different creatures in the world, and that knowledge was put to good use helping Link in his quest..."

.~~~.

"Look out, Link!"

The youth ducked as a floating skull with a blue fiery aura shot over his head. Link stared at it wide eyed, the ten year old shocked at an apparently lifeless skull rising off the floor and charging at him.

"What the heck is that?!"

He ducked again, Navi flying over to it and circling it madly to keep it distracted for a moment.

"It's called a Blue Bubble, dumb name I know. Don't let it touch you or you'll be jinxed by it and won't be able to draw any of your weapons. Use a Deku Nut! Stun it!" Following her advice, Link frantically pulled one of the aforementioned nuts out of a pouch at his belt and threw it to the floor. The bright flash of light filled the passage they were in, the Blue Bubble falling silent as it dropped to the ground. Navi continued to circle. "Don't just stand there! Hit it with your sword before it gets up again!"

Drawing the Kokiri Sword from its scabbard on his back, Link slashed the fallen skull causing it to shatter. Staring at the pieces, he shuddered.

"Why do some monsters always have to be so creepy? I mean, look at how many types of un-dead we've seen? Stalchildren, Stalfos, Redead, and now flying cursed skulls... Why can't they all be proper creatures like Tektites, Deku Babas, and Skulltula?"

Navi landed on his head, one hand tugging on a few strands of his blond hair.

"As long as there is evil in the world, haunted and lost souls will always become these creatures. Maybe once we've helped Princess Zelda get the Triforce, its power will banish them all and let the spirits within them rest."

Link sighed.

"I hope so."

.~~~.

"From the start of that journey, right up until he ended his adventures to raise a family, the un-dead were the bane of his life. Giant flesh reaving fish, living pools of goo, huge fire breathing lizards, he took all those in his stride, but un-dead always made him hesitate. I don't know whether it was because he just found them creepy, or if it was the thought that those things were made of the souls of people who had died full of hate and anger, called back into a parody of existence by dark forces. It's funny though, because his horse Epona wasn't fazed by them in the least..."

.~~~.

Link swung the Master Sword in a great sweeping slash, cutting down several stalchildren in a single attack. Smashing another in the face with his sheild he struggled to get his feet untangled from his sleeping bag.

"Why is it _every single time_ I spend a night sleeping on Hyrule Field these things pop up every hour _all night?!_ Bloody holy charms! Why are they so difficult to get?!"

A glare at the scattering of holy charms around his tiny camp was all he could spare before another stalchild came at him. Holy charms warded off the walking skeletons, but unfortunately to completely surround even just the camp fire, his sleeping bag, and Epona, the number he had wasn't enough and the Stalchildren just walked between them where the gaps were big enough.

Staring blankly at the un-dead attacking her master, Epona blinked as several turned and headed for her. A split second later pieces of bone rained down out of the sky as she whipped round and delivered a bone shattering kick with her hind legs. One look at the damage those steel shod hooves did was all it took for her remaining attackers to back off and go after the less dangerous target of the nearby hero. Not taking that too well, she stomped over to them and proceeded to trample the skeletons, prancing up into the air playfully only to come down on two or three hapless stalchildren at a time and pounding them into the dirt.

As the survivors fled, Link just stared at her as she blinked docilely back at him.

.~~~.

Navi giggled.

"From that day on Link used his charms and just surrounded his camp fire and tent, and pegged Epona's tether in the one gap that was left. I think by the time he defeated Ganondorf there wasn't a stalchild anywhere in Hyrule Field that didn't have a hoof print on it somewhere. When he returned to the past after it was all over he bought Epona while she was still young and travelled in search of me since we'd separated after the return. His travels took him through the land of Termina, where he ended up saving them from a cursed item called Majora's Mask. It was about four years after that that he found me again. We went back to Hyrule to visit and along the way he decided to give Epona back to Malon at Lon Lon Ranch. The area he wanted to go to was harsh and rocky, it wouldn't have been fair on her to take her with him through land that could cripple her. That visit ended with him also deciding that the Triforce of Courage belonged in Hyrule too, and was not to be dragged about who knows where. It was then that he asked Farore to take it from him and shatter it, hiding the shards across the length and breadth of the land and making it so that it could only be found if it was needed to defeat a future Great Evil. She did just that, but not before he used it for one last thing..."

.~~~.

Walking along the plank that had been set up between the fountain's rim and the structure in the middle, Link looked back at the watching crowd and smiled.

"This fountain that symbolises us all and the unity between us all, I give it my blessing. Long may it stand as a reminder of the strength we have if we work as one!"

Turning back he pressed his left hand against the stone between two of the carvings, the surface sizzling as it melted under the influence of the Triforce of Courage. As a final touch he also seared his family's crest into the stone, the crest that had been decreed to be his by Queen Zelda, the Sage of Wisdom. The Triforce, set into a ring representing the protection he had given to it and to the land.

After descending the plank was lifted away, and he along with all the rest present cheered as the water was set away and fountained down into the pool below. It was a while later that he crept out of the town, looking back one last time as he reached the hills beyond it. About to depart for distant lands, he knew this might actually be the last time he saw it. Closing his eyes as Navi looked on, he lifted his left hand to the sky as his thoughts reached out.

_Farore, I'm ready. It's time..._

The Triforce symbol on his hand flared and vanished as the golden triangle appeared. Rising up into the air it hovered for a moment before with a sound like breaking crystal it shattered, eight shards shooting out in all directions before disappearing from sight.

His last tie to this land gone, he resettled his pack on his back and set off once again, with Navi fluttering along behind him.

.~~~.

"Leaving Hyrule was hard for him, but he wanted the chance to just be an ordinary adventurer and not the Hero of Time. He couldn't have that in Hyrule, he was too well known. He was physically only seventeen by that point, the age he'd been in that future he'd returned from after Ganondorf's defeat. It reminded him too much of the horrors he'd seen in that future and so he just had to get away. He spent the next eight years doing just that... Until fate took a hand and he met Amie. That day ended his travels, and just two years later he became a father..."

.~~~.

The child snuffled as it was bundled into its startled father's arms. Looking down at this little life as his wife Amie smiled at him, exhausted, Link barely registered when the midwife told him it was a boy. Blue eyes gazing at his son with wonder, they lit up with joy as he greeted this little one.

"Hello, Arran, I'm your father..."

Navi fluttered over and perched on her long time friend's shoulder, her gaze fixed on the child that even as a newborn was far far bigger than she was.

"Hello, Arran! Oh you're so cute!"

Link chuckled while Amie too laughed at Navi's cooing over the baby. The little fairy was well known in the village where they lived for her sheer love of children, though Link and Amie were the only ones that knew the reason why. Navi missed the Kokiri forest, and fussing over the children of the village was her way of making up for it. Nothing would make her more happy now that being able to fuss over her best friend's son.

.~~~.

"Those years were probably the best in my life. Seeing Link so happy meant that nothing could darken my days. It didn't last though, such things never do. Arran grew up and had a family of his own, and Link and Amie grew old just as all Hyllians do given time. Amie died first, her death shattered Link and he was little more than a shadow of himself afterwards. That was when he decided it was time to return to Hyrule. He'd always remembered Ganondorf's final words as he was sealed away, and knew only one of his own descendants could finish him. So he, Arran and his wife, and their son Link who had been named after him, all travelled back to Hyrule. They settled in a village that was large enough for them to fade into a background of people, but remote enough for them to stay out of the general way of history. Not long after they settled in, Link told me a message and asked me to take it to Queen Zelda..."

.~~~.

"Zelda?"

The little fairy fluttered down to land in the lap of the startled old lady sat at the open window. Zelda, hair silver with age, gazed at the fairy with blue eyes that were distant with the knowledge gained from a long life.

"Navi... You've returned to Hyrule... I had a dream, a dream that I was sat at this window and something I'd lost a long time ago blew in on the breeze... So it was _you_ my dream was telling me about. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Link?"

Navi sat on the Sage of Wisdom's hand as she was lifted to eye level.

"That's what I'm here to tell you, Link and his family have come back to Hyrule. They're living in the village of Grey Tor, and he wants that knowledge to be kept secret. He doesn't want people to know his family are there, it's safer for them that way. He knows like you that Ganondorf's final words mean that only his and your descendants can end his threat should he return, and there are those that would seek to destroy his family if it were known they were back in Hyrule. He wants you to swear that only the Queens of Hyrule will know where they are. You are to tell no one but your successor, and they no one but theirs, to continue through the generations until the time of that final confrontation comes. You can't even tell the sages... That's the hardest part for me... Not telling Saria. Like you she's never going to see Link again."

Zelda nodded, her eyes sad but accepting. The concealment would indeed mean she couldn't go see Link one last time, she merely had to be content with the knowledge that he had returned. It was more than his childhood friend would have.

"Thank you for coming, Navi. Thank you for telling me. I promise I will do as Link has asked."

Fluttering her wings, Navi lifted herself from the elderly queen's hand, and with a small wave she flew out of the window.

"Goodbye, Zelda..."

.~~~.

Navi's voice began to tremble.

"She and Saria weren't the only ones who never saw him again..."

.~~~.

Navi flew down towards the town, careful to keep out of sight since the family's secret meant she couldn't freely fly about in full view anymore. Not here in Hyrule at least. Entering the tiny attic window that was always left open for her, she flew down the ladder and came to a startled halt at what she saw. Arran was crying, so was his wife and his son... She looked around in bewilderment for a few moments before she saw the open door of Link's room. On the bed inside was a figure covered over by a white sheet... completely and utterly still...

She shook her head in denial, her voice catching the attention of the mourners.

"No... _No! No, Link, you can't be gone! NO!_"

Arran got up, reaching out to her.

"Navi, he fell ill just after you left. He tried to hang on but he was too weak. Navi, his last words were of you. He said to tell you that he'll always be there for you in spirit no matter what." He reached out again, trying to comfort her. "Navi?"

She backed away from him, still shaking her head as tiny tears fell from her eyes.

"No... _I didn't even get to say goodbye!_" She slapped Arran's hand to the side before he could reach her. "Stay away from me! _Leave me alone!!_"

In a blur of wings she was gone, never to return to the cottage...

.~~~.

Link, the present day Link, picked Navi up as she began to cry, comforting her as Arran had tried to do all those years ago.

"It's ok, Navi, it's ok to cry. We're here for you now, remember that. He'd want you to be happy, and not regret that you didn't get to say goodbye. He knew how much you cared about him and that you would have if you got the chance."

Still sniffling as Eidan, Aryll, and Vallandra also began to murmur words of support and comfort, the little fairy managed a tiny brave smile.

"Thanks..."

Eidan used a fingertip to brush a tear from her cheek.

"No, thank _you_ Navi, for telling us about him. Journals and legends only show you so much, your stories of him have brought those legends to life in our hearts. He lives again in those tales, that's the gift you've given him by speaking of him today."

Gathered at the fire side, the little forest fairy and the family that had adopted her as one of their own, settled down once more as she steadied her voice and began another story of that time and that friend long past. Now was a time for her to remember, and learn to cherish those memories again...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Aww, that last bit had me crying. I can't help it, I'm a complete and utter softie when it comes to stuff like that. I hope you liked this, happy reading.**


	47. First Fall

**Alaia Skyhawk: lol, this was fun to write, it's sort of Christmassy and some parts are also seriously fluffy. Anyway, I gave this chapter a soundtrack, kinda, that I listened to as I wrote it. The tracks for scenes are these. Scene 1: Music from the slingshot lesson at the start of TP. Scene 2: The music from the scene where Ilia yells at Link for his horse getting hurt and walks of with her. Scene 3 : Ilia's Theme. Scene 4: Majora's Mask End Credits (2:04 up to just before the wedding bit, I was listening to my edited track). Scene 5: Final Hours (the 6 min countdown music from the end of day three). Scene 6: Windwaker Sailing Theme.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 47: First Fall

The island was blanketed in white, Tetra standing in the doorway of the Royal Compound on Windfall looking out at the white expanse that was now the compound courtyard. Bundled up in a thick coat and boots, she grinned as she walked out into the middle of it, the pale surface making a strange noise as it was squashed... that noise that tells you it's the perfect consistency for the greatest of winter games.

Eyeing up the six original members of her crew, who were currently standing looking out the gate that opened up onto the compound's private pier, she reached down and scooped up a handful of the snow and took aim.

There was a thud as the ball of white slammed into the back of Gonzo's head.

Turning _oh so slowly,_ he faced the grinning queen who then dodged with a shriek of laughter as he tried to return the favour.

Cheering her on as she evaded every attack while firing back with deadly accuracy, Senza, Nudge, Zuko, Niko, and Mako all watched as Gonzo got pounded again and again. It was after a couple of minutes that Tetra slipped as she was throwing, hitting Niko square in the face instead of her real target.

Wiping away the snow as those either side of him fell silent, the little 'swabbie' grabbed a handful and charged towards her.

"Pirates to arms! Get the captain!"

The other four exploded after him, Tetra suddenly finding herself the target of six snowball wielding sailors. Ducking behind a low wall, she proceeded to turn her hidey hole into a snow fort using the snow they were so kindly providing her with.

Hearing the racket, Mila poked her head out of the door and took in the sight of Tetra under siege. Slipping back inside to get a coat, she came back and inched out of the door, leaning over to get a snowball as she did. Picking her moment, she sent it flying at the crew, Gonzo once again getting hit in the head. Using the distraction she sprinted for Tetra's snow fort, the two girls arming themselves with a pile of ready made balls as the men stared at Gonzo trying to get ice out of his ear.

The renewed assault coming from the fort startled them out of it, and soon the two girls were once again under a hail of thrown icy powder balls. They didn't notice however that that perfectly sticky snow was building up where it stuck to the wall above them. Finally after nearly fifteen minutes, the mass of snow stuck to the wall was too much to defy gravity any longer.

The two girls shrieked as the equivalent of buckets full of snow came crashing down on them, the roars of laughter coming from Tetra's crew causing her to eye them with a look of wicked contemplation on her face.

Unseen by them the symbol on her hand flared, a huge mound of snow lifting over the compound wall from the open area beyond. Seconds after the shadow fell over them, the snow plummeted down on the six men as they tried to escape.

Standing up behind their wall, Tetra and Mila laughed at them as they dug their way out of the enormous pile of snow. It would be a while before the crew took up another snowball fight with their captain.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The little man in his blue and white coat sat in his house and stared out the window at the falling white flakes. He always liked this time of year on Windfall, if reminded him of home.

Getting up out of his chair, Zunari walked over to one of his nearby shelves and picked up a picture set in a simple frame. It showed him dressed in his coat, with his arm round a cheerful faced old woman who was shorter even that he was... His Mother.

Going back to the window he sat down in his chair once more, holding the picture as he watched the snow fall.

"Another winter is here, Mother, and a special one it is too... I wonder, how are things where you are right now? Who won the Great Sled Race this year? Did they even hold one? Did what happen here on the Great Sea cause anything back home? Or is everything the same for you?"

Holding the picture and watching the snow, Zunari remembered home as he did every year.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Here you go, Dad, a mug of spiced tea."

Mila, home for the night, walked over to her father where he sat in a chair by the fire, in the house she'd bought with her savings. This would be their first winter in a house of their own since he'd spent their previous riches on paying the pirates for bringing her home to Windfall. As she handed him the mug she thought back to those days. She'd been furious with them back then, but she saw now that it had turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to her. She'd grown up because of it.

_I was such a stuck up snob back then, and I didn't have _any_ friends, but now I have lots of them and I've never been happier. It's true what they say, money doesn't buy you happiness._

Heading back to the small stove in the far corner, she picked up the kettle and began making a mug of tea for herself, adding a spoonful of her own recipe spice mix to it. It was the little things, like knowing she'd blended this mix herself, that she valued the most now. That and being here with her father, as lazy as he was.

Glancing over at him as he sipped his tea, she smiled.

_Money _doesn't _bring you happiness, but family does. I don't care if he'd a lazy dolt who complains about having a bad back as an excuse not to work, he's still my father_.

Sitting down in the chair opposite him, she began to sip her tea while gazing into the flames.

After a little while, as if sensing her thoughts, her father spoke after putting down his mug.

"Do you know, I think you're the most wonderful daughter in the world?"

Looking up at him and smiling, she put her own mug down and rose from her seat to sit on his lap as she hadn't done since she was five. Snuggling against him as he hugged her, she hugged him back.

"I know..."

She would always be her daddy's special little girl, and that's what mattered.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Laughter filled the large yet cosy room, many of Saiweve's residents gathered here for an evening of song and dance. The cafe was crowded, but not so much that it was uncomfortable, the jovial atmosphere more than making up for the lack of seats.

Sat in one corner, Lyle and Mara were happily tucking into their bowls of fish chowder, the recipe having been sent to the cafe owner by her new pen friend in Hyrule Castle Town. Chuckling as a pair of the village youths challenged each other to an arm wresting match, the man and his niece cheered them on along with the rest of the crowd as the two leaned over a table. The loser was then commiserated and handed a mug of the mulled ale that was always served this time of year, made to chase the winter chill from the drinker's bones.

Someone on the far side of the room started telling jokes, the roars of laugher they got from those gathered sometimes drowning out the light hearted music being played by a group of the village musicians. This would be just one of many such gatherings that would take place in Saiweve this winter, and while different people would attend each one, with no two gatherings alike, the result would be the same. A night from which more than a few would go home merrily drunk...

The crowd clearing a little as extra stools were found and quickly occupied, Mara grabbed her uncle's hand and dragged him into the now open space in the middle of the room. More people soon followed and before the current song had even ended there were a dozen pairs dancing a jig to the musicians' efforts. Encouraged, the players picked another lively song as those watching from the sidelines began to clap in time.

Singing and clapping filling the air, along with the sounds of stamping feet and rousing music, the blustery and icy weather outside was forgotten as the people danced on into the night.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A sigh of defeat echoed through the chamber to the sound of discordant harp strings. Red eyes, shadowed with exhaustion from a long but fruitless search, opened and surveyed the empty room by the light from the three openings high above.

Medli spoke, knowing that her fellow sage would hear her, him being in the Sacred Chamber of his own temple at this time.

"I don't think we're going to find it like this, Makar. We've been trying for months, and nothing we've attempted from within our temples has succeeded in locating the Master Sword. I think for now we'd be best off returning to our homes until we can think of something else we can try. Right now I think we're just wasting our time."

The Sage of Wind replied, his voice muffled a little, like it would be if they were stood either side of an open door while speaking to each other.

"You're right, I'm as completely _stumped_ about how to find it as you are." They both chuckled at the tree reference. "Let's go home. Maybe after some time to clear our heads we'll come up with something different."

Both in agreement, they vanished from their temples and began the long flight back.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Laughing as a certain forest fairy zipped around the deck sending clouds of disturbed snow up into the wind, Aryll leaned against the mast of the Red Lion as it surged through the waves towards the South Passage. They were heading back to Hyrule Castle Town, since Eidan would be taking Tetra's place there for a while, and Link wanted to spend some time in the city's training yards, the chance of having many different sparring partners and such something he couldn't resist since he had the free time.

Closing her eyes she stood there enjoying the feel of the sea spray on her face, as cold as the dampness made it. She was looking forward to getting back together with some of the town girls, they'd been about to hold knife throwing contests in one of the boarding house yards when Link had asked her if she wanted to be home on Outset for the Storm Weeks. She wasn't about to leave Grandma all alone so of course she'd gone, but now she really wanted to get those contests set up. She hadn't even known how to properly throw a knife until the landlady of the boarding house had gotten interested in the lessons and added some of her own.

The ship lurched, a wash of icy water sliding across the deck and soaking her feet. Grimacing as she tried to get the water out of her shoes she heard a muffled chuckle come from behind her. Glaring at her brother she shook a fist at him when she realised he'd done it on purpose.

"I'll get you for that, when you least expect it I'm going to _pull_ you so you appear over sea and we'll see just how much _you_ like the feeling of ice water."

Hastily straightening his face, Link turned his attention back towards the rapidly approaching Passage. Knowing his sister, she probably _would_ get him back sooner or later, so it was far better he didn't make it worse.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well I hope you liked it. Happy reading :D**


	48. Swords in the Snow

**Alaia Skyhawk: I've had scene two of this chapter written for **_**months**_**, now it's finally time to put it up :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 48: Swords in the Snow

Hyrule Castle Town was bustling, with people going back and forth at tasks to prepare for spring even with that season still months away. Taking a short cut through the district where the city's warehouses were, Link, Eidan, and Aryll saw the orderly queues of people lining up to get their weekly allotment of food for their families. With that in mind the three of them had brought some supplies with them from Outset, which which they would have used if they'd spent the winter at home. Things were tightly rationed enough as it was without burdening the city with three more mouths to feed. They would see about borrowing a small wagon to bring the crates and sacks to Darthan's house in a day or so once they'd settled in.

Shortly after leaving the warehouse district, Link stopped, making his father and sister pause.

"Would you two mind if I went down to the Training Yards now? There are still a couple of hours of daylight left and I'd like to get a chance to look around it before I go down tomorrow."

Aryll grinned and promptly divested him of his clothes pack.

"Not at all, Big Brother, and don't worry, I won't do anything to your stuff... I'll just put the bag in your room."

Catching the hint that Aryll was still a little miffed about the ice water prank Link had played on her, Eidan then divested _her_ of the bag.

"Just to be sure I think it would be best if _I_ carried them, that way there's no chance you'll be tempted."

Link smiled in amusement as his sister pouted in disappointment at their father. Settling his smaller equipment pack more easily on his back, he turned and walked off with a wave. Heading off down a side street he walked in what he knew was the general direction of the training yards which were near the city's south wall. Eventually getting to a point where he wasn't quite sure where to go next, he stopped a passer by and asked them.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to find the Training Yards, could you give me some directions?"

The middle aged Hyllian man he'd asked smiled and nodded before pointing along the street to Link's right.

"Of course, just go down there and take the third left, then go straight ahead until you reach a small fountain, then go left again. The gates into the Yards are there, you can't miss them."

Inclining his head in thanks, he set of in the direction indicated.

"Thank you."

The man gave him a wave before heading back to whatever it was he'd been doing, while Link strolled down the street with growing anticipation. Gerril had told him about the Training Yards, and after hearing his stories Link really wanted to see them.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The town's training yards were a bustle of activity. Everyone who could wield a weapon, from soldiers to the town's farmers, came here to practice. There was archery ranges, a jousting arena, practice courts for every type of hand-to-hand weapon you could think of, and even an area where you could practice with a sling, complete with large baskets filled with carefully selected rocks.

Link looked around, unable to hide his awed surprise. He'd never expected such a peaceful town to have anything as extensive as this. Then again, the people of Hyrule were practical, and past history had taught them the importance of being prepared. Even now, in this time of peace, they learned and practiced in case of future need.

He strolled along the path that a signpost had said led to the sword area. He had brought his mirror shield with him, it being the best he had, along with the sword Orca had given him for his fifteenth birthday. He had his bow and arrows as well, but a sparring match with a sword was what he was really after. Reaching the area he'd been looking for, he leaned on the fence that bordered it and looked in. Inside there were several soldiers practicing towards the far end, and at the near end there was a group of town boys, all around about Link's age. He stood watching them for several minutes, taking notes of the styles they used. While clearly they knew a fair bit about swordplay, when comparing them to the soldiers he could see they lacked the finesse of the professionals.

It was just then that one of the boys spotted him.

Link's Islander outfit made it clear where he was from, and it would seem these youths had low opinions of his people.

The brown haired youth pointed at him and shouted.

"Hey, guys! Look, it's one of those Sea People!" He smirked at Link. "What's the matter, Islander? Taking a look at a _true _swordsman, eh? You lot and your dinky 'sailor's knives'. You guys are no match for a man with a _proper_ blade."

The hero looked at the young man, amused by his assumptions.

Another of them glared at him.

"You think we're funny, do you?! Come on then, Islander! If you're so tough then prove it!"

Link shrugged and ducked between the rails of the fence. Un-shouldering his pack, he then opened it and pulled out a wrapped bundle. Taking his sailor's knife off his belt, much to their surprise, he set it down on his pack and then unwrapped the contents of the afformentioned bundle. Several of the boys started to look unsure when they saw what was in it.

A blue and silver shield, emblazoned with symbols used in Hyrule since ancient times, shimmered as the pale winter light reflected off its polished surface. The sword wasn't as impressive, but the fine sheath and well crafted hilt hinted at its quality despite its plainness. Fastening the straps of the sheath across his torso so that the sword and shield sat comfortably on his back, Link then smoothly drew the blade and unhooked the shield, setting it on his right arm in what was an unmistakably practiced movement.

Turning his eyes back of the youths, Link eyed them with a calm assertiveness, no trace of amusement left on his face as he focused his attention on the coming match.

"So, who wants to carry out the challenge?"

Not wanting to back down, it was the first youth who's spoken who stepped into a nearby ring marked out on the ground.

"I'll face you, Islander. It should be good for a few laughs."

The youth swung his sword a few times, showing off to his friends as Link walked over ignoring their taunts. The boy's bravado did nothing to impress him. The nearby soldiers heard the taunts and came over to see what was going on. Stopping a short distance from the ring, they took one look at Link and the ease with which he held his weapon and directed pitying glances at the local boy. They knew an expert when they saw one.

The youth dropped into a fighter's crouch as Link just stood there... apparently too stupid not to ready himself. The youth fell for the ploy and launched himself at the hero with a wild swing of his sword. Link simply sidestepped him, using his attacker's momentum to send him sprawling.

"Never assume your opponent isn't ready. Not all fighters use an obvious stance."

One of the soldiers produced a slate and drew a line down the middle before putting a mark in the left hand column.

The youth, now off the ground, glared at Link.

"Cheap trick, Islander!"

He attacked Link again, now a little more careful not to rush in headlong. This time Link tapped his blade off to the right and locked shields with him, using them to throw the youth to the snow dusted ground once more.

"You had your shield too far out. Keep it close or you leave a hold in your defences."

Another mark went in the left hand column as the youth spat the grit from his fall from his mouth.

"Shut up!"

Watching him get up, Link let him make the first move again. With a thrust of his shield across his body he send the youth's blade out to the left, using his own move to spin on one foot and bring the flat of his sword round to tap the youth's now exposed back, causing him to stumble.

"You weren't watching your back. Just because you start an attack facing your opponent, doesn't mean it won't end with your back exposed."

The youth's expression was now venomous.

"Quit it with the tricks and face me you coward!"

Link's expression hardened as the youth charged him again. Blow after blow rained down on the hero, who blocked them all with ease between his own strikes. The youth smirked at him as he blocked all of his counter attacks... or so he thought. After a couple of minutes of this Link decided enough was enough. Blocking one last swing he flipped over the youth's head and struck him with the flat of his sword on the back of the head. When he landed he sheathed his blade and hung his shield back on his back.

"You still have a lot to learn..."

Angry with this dismissal, the youth advanced on him a step only to be stopped by one of the soldiers who forced him to back up several yards.

"Enough, Tagen, you've lost fair and square."

Tagen yelled at him.

"No I haven't! He didn't hit me once during that exchange!"

The soldier with the slate grimaced and held it up. The left hand column was almost completely filled with marks.

"Actually, Tagen, if that was a real fight he'd have killed you about fifty times... He was double striking during that last exchange, you were only blocking the first strike of each pair. Meanwhile you didn't come close to hitting him even _once_. This guy's a _master_ swordsman, there's no way you can beat him."

Tagen clenched his fists.

"We'll see about that! Get him!"

Tagen and the twelve other youths all charged at Link, who by now had seen enough of this prideful nonsense.

He lifted his now empty left hand and summoned a barrier like the one he'd used to defend Komali. Golden light separated him from the youths, who were going too fast to stop in time. They ploughed into the barrier, ending up in a crumpled heap on the ground. Link, with a flick of his power, then picked them up and put them down in a line so they could get up without stepping on each other. He glared at them, anger just tracing the edges of his features as he spoke in an icy tone.

"That was _beyond_ stupid! This is a place of _practice_, yet if your actions were against someone less able than me you could have _killed_ them!"

Tagen looked up at him, his eyes wide with shock.

"H-How did you do that?"

Link eased off with his glare.

"I suggest you _think_ in future before picking a fight out of pride or foolish prejudice." He held his left hand up so the back was facing them, the Triforce symbol glowing there brightly from his recent invoking of its power. "I came here for some friendly sparring, but ended up having to give _you_ lot a lesson in the Swordsman's Code of Honour... I have to say your attitude towards the people of the islands disappoints me..."

Tagen and the rest of the youths gaped in horror as they realised just _who_ it was they'd picked a fight with.

"Y-You're the _Hero of Winds_!"

Several of the soldiers came over and began helping the youths to their feet, while the one with the slate approached Link.

"I apologise, Sir, for this incident. Be assured we will see to it they receive the proper punishment for their actions. The Training Yards have strict rules regarding actions like these and they have just broken several."

Link shook his head.

"There's no need, the scare I've just given them is punishment enough, leave it at that." He looked at the soldier, giving him an amused smile. "By the way, my name is Link, not 'Sir'. I'm a person first and a hero second, I'd prefer that you use it. Out in the islands everyone knows who and what I am, but they treat me as a normal person. After all, I didn't set out to become a hero, it just happened, so I don't make a big deal out of it." Link looked over at Tagen, his tone somewhat more friendly that when he'd last spoken to the youth. "At the start of that fight I wasn't taunting you with my comments, I was trying to _teach_ you were you were going wrong. You were making careless mistakes. I exploited them so you could _learn_ from them."

Tagen looked at the ground, his shoulders slumped. After a moment he sighed and looked at Link again.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so big headed. You're right, I _was_ making mistakes. I'm sorry for insulting the Islanders too..."

Link gave him a wry smile, coming to a decision.

"I'll tell you what. I saw a few moves while I was watching you that I've never seen before. Teach me those, and I'll show you all how to fight with a sailor's knife. Deal?"

Tagen and his friends broke out into grins, the soldiers eyeing Link with even greater respect as he turned animosity into friendship with a few words. Tagen walked over and held a hand out to Link who accepted it with a grin just as wide.

"Sure... Link."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A soft voice carried on the winds across the fenced meadows around her, the heads of her charges lifting up from their grazing as the ancient melody reached their ears.

She smiled and continued to sing as the wind stirred her red hair. With the coming of spring she would be making her first trip to Hyrule Castle Town in a long while...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heh heh, yeah I know that last bit was evilly cryptic and short, but it's just the intro for someone who will be appearing in more detail in a few chapters time. On another note, I did a word count of the 'Town Boys Scene' as I've been referring to it for months, and it came out at 1824 words long :D It's nearly my average chapter length all on it's own. XD**


	49. Tour of Hope

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hey guys, I took a few days break to get some pictures done. I have pictures of the grown up Medli, the goddess Kyayna, Tetra, both versions of Makar (Korok and Kokiri), Link and Aryll grown up, and last but not least, a MAP. Yes I've finally got around to cleaning up my map of the altered Great Sea and the link is with the rest of my art in my profile.**

**I've also added a simple set of codes so people can use Ctrl+F to find the section they want faster, the listing is just below the Prophecy.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 49: Tour of Hope.

"Link! Eidan! Welcome!"

The two hyllians winced as Darunia's voice thundered within the immense cavern that held the Goron City. Three weeks of travelling on foot along the now snow clogged Great Road, and then a further four days trekking up the side of the mountain, had brought them here on this visit bundled up to the eyeballs in thick clothing and hats. They'd considered waiting to do this tour, that would take them round the majority of the mainland settlements, until spring, but after thinking it through they'd decided it was better to do it now. As Queen Zyara's advisor, Eidan was the next best person after her to go round reassuring the mainlanders. The promised food from the islands had helped a lot, but a personal visit from the Queen's right hand man would really boost their moral. The next best person after him was Link who, as the Hero who'd defeated Ganondorf once and for all, would raise the people's spirits just as much. Now, after the Sage of Fire's very loud greeting, they were both wondering whether it was really such a good idea for them _both_ to visit at the same time.

As if to answer their question a sound like an avalanche rocked the cavern as dozens of Gorons started charging up the various stairways and ramps to see them...

Link swallowed, looking a little nervous as he glanced sidelong at his father.

"Umm, didn't our ancestor face something a little like this?"

Also swallowing, Eidan winced again at the new noise of very happy rock people bearing down on them.

"Yes, when he cleared the Dodongos from the Dogongos' Cavern. They adopted him as a Sworn Brother of Darunia, who was their leader at the time, and he said in his journals that he'd run from them when faced with a barrage of truly _crushing_ thank you hugs... Darunia's 'pat' on the head left him dizzy for days, he wasn't about to see what the hugs would do... He _was_ only ten at the time."

Turning his head to look in the direction of the sight of several ecstatic Gorons, Link grimaced.

"Something tells me that running away from them at this time wouldn't go down too well... Let me take the brunt of any hugging, after the beatings I took during my journeys I think I stand a better chance of surviving it..."

With a final silent prayer at the sight of the greeting party now just fifty yards away, Eidan forced his face into a pleasant smile to meet them.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"They're here! They're here! They're here!!"

Link stepped discretely in front of his father and offered a hand in greeting to the Goron who had just reached them.

"I'm Link, it's a pleasure to meet y... Oooooooof!" He was enveloped in a big welcome hug by the Goron. Turning a little red in the face he managed to gasp. "...Can't... breathe..."

Suddenly apologetic, the Goron put him down and hovered anxiously.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry."

Link patted him on the shoulder and smiled, able to breathe once more.

"It's ok. It's the thought that counts."

Reassured, the Goron beamed in delight as finally the Sage of Fire made his appearance. It was then that Link got first hand experience of what Darunia considered to be a friendly 'pat on the head'. The couple of thumps sent the sixteen year old hero face down on the floor, leaving the sage blinking down at him in surprise.

"Oops..." Shaking his head unable to place the scene, while Eidan tried not to shake with suppressed laughter, Darunia picked Link up. "I apologise, I keep meaning to be gentler on Hyllians than I am on my fellow Gorons. I keep forgetting though."

Covering his mouth Eidan thought about the 'hug' and chuckled, murmuring to himself.

"Maybe it's a racial trait..." Putting a straight face back on, he walked up to Darunia and his mildly concussed son. "It's good to see you Darunia, I believe a tour of the city was mentioned when this trip was planned, care to show us around?"

Carefully slinging an arm around the man's shoulders, the Sage of Fire led him towards one of the ramps as Link stumbled along behind, still dizzy from his introduction to the floor.

"Of course! I'll show you all the best sights in our City!"

As he began a narration of the Goron City's history, Link pulled off his hat spilling a certain now cross eyed fairy to the floor. Absently picking her up and putting her on his shoulder before he followed, Link heard her murmur painfully in his ear.

"I didn't get out of the Hero of Time's hat fast enough either..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Link tugged at the red cloth tunic that currently covered his normal clothes, not sure what to make of the Sage of Fire's proclamation that it would protect him from the intense heat within Death Mountain's crater.

"Umm, I'm really not sure I want to see the Temple of Fire now..."

Eidan didn't appear any more impressed than his son did as he plucked at his own red tunic, with Darunia looking on at them both with amusement.

He laughed.

"Those tunics aren't made of ordinary cloth. They're woven from thread made from the fibres of the Drake Gorse, a plant that grows inside the crater itself. The plant has certain magical properties that let it repel heat away from itself so it can grow in there, and cloth made from it repels heat from its wearer in the same way. Those tunics will do their job, don't worry about it."

Link pulled at the tunic again, this time at the collar.

"I guess that explains why this thing is so scratchy. I swear it feels like I've got half a bucket full of sand rubbing round my neck."

Finally giving in, the young hero and his father followed the sage through the passage at the back of the 'throne room' used by the leader of the Gorons, who at this time was currently visiting a smaller Goron settlement further round the great peak from the city. Just as promised, after a trip down a _very_ long tunnel, they entered the crater but were only able to feel a fraction of the heat, some judicious arm stretching by Eidan, resulting in a scorched fingertip, showing just how big a safe bubble the tunics would make around them. So long as they didn't reach further than would be considered normal, they would be fine.

Within the crater they could see one of the two smaller volcanic spires that had been described in their ancestor's journals, which was spewing ash laden smoke upwards in a fog that obscured the rim of the crater to the point where you could only see the blue of the sky if you squinted. Trekking after Darunia across a series of bridges, made of Drake Gorse wood and rope, they were led to an area of solid ground where a very strange looking plant sheltered in the middle of a cluster of Drake Gorse, its rigid leaves spread out on the ground around it. It would have been quite a hike to their destination, the distance to the middle between the peaks being more than thirty miles, though more than a few of the helpful floating 'magic bean' plants like the one they were heading for would speed them across that distance in a fraction of the time it would have taken them to walk it.

Darunia indicated that they should stand on the plant and the thick net of Drake Gorse fibres on the top of it.

"That net protects it from the heat as it floats along the path it's been trained to follow, they wouldn't be able to grow in here otherwise. The first one was brought here by the Hero of Time but the heat killed it, as hardy as these things are, after just a few years. Untouched these things will live for centuries, I've only had to replace the ones I planted a handful of times in all the years it's been. The Hero of Time had to walk to the middle, but after Ganondorf was sealed away I decided to plant more so that visitors to the Temple wouldn't have to walk all the way there. If you ever want to visit Nabouru's temple though, at the Desert Colossus, be prepared to. Nothing bar her crosses that wasteland without the help of one of the Poe Guides and believe me they'll _make_ you walk."

They got onto the plant, Darunia becoming an orb of light to follow along beside them as it shot through the air fast enough to make both of them crouch down and hold onto its leaves. Less than five minutes later he had them jump off it at a rock platform with two more of the plants on it. After explaining that one went back they way they'd come and the other onwards, he hovered over the one they needed and they continued on their way. Even with the plants the trip was a long one, taking more than two hours to make it to the middle. Stepping off the plant as it made a low sweep over the Temple's Consecration Stone, a fair sized grey hexagonal stone platform emblazoned with the Triforce Symbol and the Temple's Crest, they followed Darunia, now back in his normal form, along a stone walkway and entered the passage that would take them into the Temple of Fire...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Standing out in the icy winds that whipped across the mountainside, Link and Eidan looked down at the great sweeps of snow between the varied ridges that lined the slopes between them and Kakariko.

Scratching at his neck while leaning over the edge a little, much to his father's discomfort, Link chuckled.

"I wish I had one of those sleds the kids in Kakariko were using when we passed through, can you imagine going down those slopes on one?" He scratched his neck again and grumbled at the persistent irritation. "Geeze we took off and gave back those tunics _hours_ ago... Why does my neck have to keep itching?"

Eidan shrugged, still eyeing the snow covered mountainside nervously.

"I should think it will wear off after not too long. After all our ancestor never made any note about it in his journals, which given how he griped about Navi at times, I would think a constant and prolonged itch caused by a Fire Tunic would merit an entry."

The aforementioned fairy glared at him.

"C'mon, I wasn't _that_ bad."

Sighing, Link glanced back at him.

"Speaking of journal entries, what about that one where he mentioned Kaepora Gaebora, the owl reincarnation of an Ancient Sage, carrying him down to Kakariko after he got the Spiritual Stone of Fire. That sounded fun. Do you want to remake it with me carrying _you_ down?"

Eidan took one look at the grin on his son's face and slowly began to back up stuttering.

"B-but we have our packs as well, you c-can't carry _everything..._"

Link folded his arms and sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"Dad, we'll be going _down_ which means that I can manage the weight easily, come on don't be a spoil sport."

Bringing a hand up to his face, Eidan groaned.

"I just know I'm going to regret this..."

Shutting out his son's victory whooping, he just stood there until Link held out the harness that would hold him and the packs as he flew them down the mountain. He closed his eyes as his son guided him to the edge, and then bit back a scream as the youth pushed them both over and spread his winds. Gritting his teeth he forced his eyes open as he hung in the harness, the beat of his son's wings filling the air as they soared downwards. Scared half to death by the height, he still had to admit it was breathtaking to be flying down the mountain like this, especially with so much of it cloaked in dazzling white snow.

The wind whistling past them, tiny wind borne fragments of ice melting on their faces, the two of them glided down to the village far far below.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Eidan looked up as Link dipped and swooped around the large tree in the middle of Kakariko's open green, the children below calling out with delight at his antics as he dodged the snowballs they were throwing at him, a game Hierin had come up with on his first visit here after the snows fell. The first child to succeed at hitting the flyer would get a ride in the harness, the rest would get one of the sweets Link had in his pack.

Turning away and heading back into the village guest house, Eidan chuckled to himself. Having simply passed through without stopping on their way up to the Goron City the people of Kakariko had only had a brief glimpse of them. Now with him and his son staying here for a couple of days, before Aryll would pull them back to Hyrule Castle Town, the villagers were going well out of their way to make them welcome. The first day the two of them had been shown around the village, though to call Kakariko a 'village' was deceptive for the settlement was as big as the Castle Town had been back when the Hero of Time had been alive. Wherever they'd gone shouts of welcome had come from all directions, the crowd escorting them growing steadily larger until Eidan could easily say that almost a third of the settlement's population had been in tow. After that he and Link had split up and proceeded to do a number of house visits, both of them so stuffed with offered food, accepted as courtesy required that they had declined having an evening meal with the town mayor, pleading exhaustion as the reason. That postponed meal would be happening tonight instead, and both he and Link were keeping their activities small and away from the kitchens of the village women, lest they find themselves cornered into accepting more treats so as not to give offence by refusing.

Closing the door behind him he walked over to one of the cushioned chairs near the hearth, kicking off his boots and setting them to dry on a mat that had been placed by the fire for that purpose. The guest house was plain but comfortable, the ancient building cosy with its thick walls and wooden beams. It had once belonged to Impa, but had long since been given over by her as a home to be used by those visiting the town she had founded and helped to build all those long centuries ago.

He sat down, looking into the light of the fire as his thoughts dwelt on the events of the past few months. He set of from that island just wanting to get home to Outset, and yet he'd spent all of about five weeks there, the rest being spent at Windfall or Hyrule Castle Town. He sighed.

_Ah well, I guess I'll get to spend more time at home once things have settled down a bit more. By this time next year everyone will have adapted to the changes and things will settle down into routine. Then I can just sit back and relax on Outset with my family, and not trudge through snow and up mountains like I've been doing the past four weeks._

The heat of the fire banishing the winter chill from his body, Eidan fell asleep. There he would be when his snow splattered son came back to clean himself up for their meal with the mayor.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"So, how was it at Goron City and Kakariko?"

Aryll smiled at her father and brother as they reoriented themselves after her pulling them to Darthan's house in Hyrule Castle Town.

Putting his pack down on the floor, Eidan stepped up to her and ruffled her hair, her head now almost up to his chin. She'd grown quite a bit in the last few months, and with being just weeks from being thirteen if she matched her mother's growth spurt at the same age it wouldn't be long before she was almost as tall as him and her brother. Holding back a sigh as he thought about how much he'd missed of her childhood, with the remainder dwindling away before his eyes, he smiled back.

"Well Link got some first hand experience of what our ancestor went through when Darunia patted him on the head. We saw the inside of the Fire Temple. Then Link flew us both down to Kakariko from the Goron City, after which we spent a day looking around the village. We had a meal with the Mayor of Kakariko the following night, and this morning Impa showed us a bit of the Shadow Temple before we came back here. Apart from all the hard slogging through the snow travelling there's not much else to say."

Aryll sighed, her face resigned.

"Aww, you guys get all the fun. One of these days it'll be _me_ who gets to do the interesting stuff."

Link grinned at her, setting his own pack on the floor as well.

"I don't doubt it. You'll get your chance, Sis." He glanced at Eidan. "I know we only just got here, but if we're to make it to that first farming village before that storm I sensed hits we need to leave now. Otherwise we'll lose almost a week and we still have to go all the way to Zora's Domain, though if the snow gets as deep as it did near Death Mountain I think I might just melt it off the road with my piece of the Triforce." He saw his sister's querying look. "Yeah yeah, I know I said I would only use it for important things the people need and not for convenience, though if I wanted to twist words I could say melting the snow will help us visit all those villages much sooner than if I didn't. If we want to get it all done before spring I might have to anyway." He ruffled her hair as their father had done. "See you again in a few weeks Aryll."

Both of them picked up their packs, restocked with food at the insistence of the people of Kakariko, and headed downstairs. Watching them go from the front door of the house, Aryll waved them goodbye as they set off on the next leg of their tour of hope.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

With a resigned sigh Link lifted his left hand and sent a burst of power along the Great Road, the magic he unleashed stripping the white cover from the stone surface for about a mile.

"This is getting really monotonous. If it weren't for the wind making drifts cover the road again I could melt it off a whole day's worth of travel in one go."

Eidan patted his son on the shoulder as they began moving again. They had crossed the southern-most bridge over the South Passage, and now after nine days, four of which were spent staying in villages, the two of them were about half a day's steady trek from the next stop on their tour. The village they would reach by this evening was rather ironic... Grey Tor, the village that had been their family's home right up until just before the Sealing.

"I know, but unfortunately the weather doesn't usually cooperate when it comes to drifting snow. Put it this way, as boring as it is for you to keep stopping to melt more, we're travelling a _lot_ faster than we would have been had we been walking knee high in the stuff."

Link chuckled in agreement as the two of them then continued on their way in comfortable silence. Short of the occasions when they would sing sailing songs to pass the time, some of which contained language Vallandra would have skinned their ears for if she'd heard them, they would remain quiet listening instead to the sound of the wind over the blanket of snow or looking at various interesting landmarks along the way.

Seeing another very distinctive ridgeline, Link pulled out his map and noted the feature on it, his explorer's ways meaning he couldn't resist adding to the chart, besides it might be useful for a more general road map later. Pocketing his pen after wiping the tip on a scrap of cloth and resealing his tiny bottle of ink, Link rolled up the map and put it back in his pack before peering at the road ahead.

"The wind's turning, blowing from the west, if it holds once we leave Grey Tor we'll have it at our backs all the way to Zora's Domain... Maybe sometimes the weather _does_ cooperate."

Eidan gave him a wry look.

"And you didn't even cheat and use the Windwaker..."

He ducked the snowball that his son threw at him for that remark before breaking into a run down the cleared road with Link in hot pursuit, their laughter filling the air.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"I recognise that house!!"

Several villagers almost flung themselves to the floor as Navi zipped over their heads to the worn stone cottage just a few doors down the street. Smiling at her antics, the fading light of sunset gilding the surrounding hills red, Eidan reassured them as they got back to their feet.

"Don't mind her it's been a long time since she left that house back when our ancestors lived in it. Grey Tor was our home for over fifteen hundred years, and technically we still own that cottage." He rummaged in his bag and tossed the resulting ring of keys to the fairy. "I came prepared, Navi, the key to the front door is on there."

Less than five seconds later the door was open and Navi had darted inside, her happy chatter, as she flitted from one thing to another within, reaching the ears of those outside. Several of the villagers grinned, others chuckling at the running commentary coming from the cottage. One of them came up and shook Eidan's hand, his brown eyes warm with regard for the visitor.

"Then allow me to welcome you here. We don't have a village Mayor since the one we had was sent to the mountaintops before the Sealing, and since then we've not really had time to set about electing another. That cottage was one of the ones we were going to force open come spring to ease the crowding, but if it's your family's we'll leave it be."

Eidan shook his head.

"No, give it to a family that needs it. Me and mine live on Outset Island now. It's been our home for the last thousand years. This cottage therefore holds history for us but nothing more. I'll give you the keys when we leave, that way you won't have to force the doors come spring."

The man blinked for several seconds before he and the surrounding villagers all broke out into smiles of respect and gratitude.

"That's very generous of you, we'll be sure to keep the history of that house known along with your kindness. You've given a family a new beginning here in Grey Tor and I know whichever family it is they'll never forget it."

Link came up and slung an arm around the man's shoulders, turning him to face towards the middle of the settlement.

"Why don't you introduce us to everyone before it gets too dark? We'll be staying until the day after tomorrow, so you can give us a tour in the morning."

The man grinned and led the hero towards the first cluster of people.

"I'd be happy to."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Puffing with exertion, hauling on the ropes that had been strung between steel pins hammered into the cliff face that reached skywards from one side of the steeply sloped path, Link and Eidan slowly made their way up the long path towards the entrance into Zora's Domain. Careful not to slip and fall off the sheer drop to the river below on their left opposite the cliff, they persevered towards the huge waterfall that fell from hundreds of feet above them just a hundred yards away.

Their destination in sight, they allowed themselves a moment to catch their breath before heading up the final path out over the river to where an arch of stone bridged the width of the great gorge right in front of the tumbling water.

Glancing at his son, the corner of Eidan's mouth quirked upwards with amusement.

"Do you want to do the honours or shall I whistle it?"

Chucking, Link rummaged in his pack and brought out the fairy ocarina that had come from Saria. Putting it to his lips he played one of the songs his father had taught him during this trip, the notes clear even over the roar of the cascade. A shiver seemed to run through the air as suddenly the falling water split to either side and a bridge of light extended out from the clearly man made tunnel revealed. Crossing this new bridge they entered, soon to be greeted warmly by the Zoran guard that had come striding down the passage at the sound of the song of the Royal Family.

"Welcome to Zora's Domain. Come, Queen Latela and Lady Ruto are both in the throne room. Lady Ruto will be most anxious to introduce you to her."

The guard turned, the pale light coming down the passage reflecting off the moisture that beaded his blue skin and the passage walls. Just a short way beyond they came out onto a ledge high above a vast underground lake. Gasping in awe at the sight before them, Link and Eidan looked out across this aquatic paradise of waterfalls, myriad pools, and masses of tiny glittering fish that flashed with reflected light when they swam through one of the many beams of winter sunlight that came through openings in the roof of the cavern.

Taking a step forward, Eidan turned his head taking in more of the view.

"It's beautiful... the entries in our ancestor's journals describing this place don't do it justice. This place is incredible..."

The guard stood straighter with pride, chin held up beneath his stylised fish head helmet. Allowing them a couple more minutes to admire the view, he then led them up a maze of damp walkways to the equally maze-like collection of passages and chambers that served as homes for his people. Shortly they found themselves entering a moderate sized chamber with a Zoran woman sitting in a throne at the far end, Ruto standing beside her.

The sage smiled at them and waved them over.

"Link, Eidan, welcome to Zora's Domain. This is my descendant and current queen of the Zoras, Latela."

Latela inclined her head at the two approaching men, her demeanour considerably calmer than it had been prior to Medli's visit some months ago.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and it's an honour to have you visiting the Domain. I hope your visit is a pleasant one, and one to remember."

Thinking about their reaction to the view, Link smiled at her.

"Believe me, my lady, it already is, and it's as much of an honour for us to be here in this remarkable city."

Ruto murmured, her magic making her voice only audible to Link and his father.

_You have your ancestor's flare for words. His way with words was what charmed me back then and led to me giving him the Spiritual Stone of Water... His face in the averted future seven years later was a picture when I told him off for keeping me, his fiancée, waiting for all those years..._

Link and Eidan were suddenly forced to struggle to keep straight faces as they tried to follow what Queen Latela was saying to them oblivious to her ancestress' silent comments.

_For all his way with words he never did pick up that day that by asking me for it he'd asked me to marry him._

Her laughter ringing in their heads, it took all of the control of the two men not to burst out laughing... Somehow they didn't think Queen Latela would like it if they apparently found her suggestion of giving them a tour personally was amusing...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Whew, looong chapter. That was a lot of scenes to write. I hope you liked the jokes and that the random info on fire tunics, magic bean plants, etc was interesting. Happy reading.**


	50. Call of the Pearls

**Alaia Skyhawk: We're getting back into some more plotty stuff now. On a random note I now have a pretty good idea of the number of people reading this fic. Chapters 44-47 all have exactly the same number of hits on them... 78. **

**78 readers is the highest on any of my fics and I guess it just shows how popular Zelda games are. Thanks to all you guys reading and remember I have anonymous reviewing allowed on my fics, so even if you're not a site member feel free to leave a comment. Every one I get makes my day so do something nice for Xmas and let's see how many of the 78 will leave a message in the reviews. I'll be watching my inbox with anticipation, and every person who leaves one will go in my Xmas list on the next chapter and in my profile. **

**Happy Christmas everyone, and happy reading.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 50: Call of the Pearls

The wind blew past the high peak, the strands of air weaving between the many rocks and ridges that surrounded the perch of the great dragon. They drifted over the feathers of his wings, gliding over his red scales, and stirred the auburn hair of the sage sat on a rock next to him.

Medli looked out across the sea, out to the immense bulk of Death Mountain where it dominated the skyline. Her thoughts focused on her duties as a sage, she had come here to speak with Valoo in the hope that together they might be able to make sense of her and Makar's lack of success in their search.

"It's like every time we reached out we hit a wall in the dark. No matter what we tried, no matter how we varied the method, we always got the same result. Utter silence from the Master Sword, leaving us with no way to locate where it is right now." She sighed, her red eyes shadowed. "I know it's not needed right now, but I don't like not knowing where it is. It makes me feel as though somehow I'm... failing the people. Right now the Mainlanders don't know the sword is missing, and the Islanders haven't really thought about it, but sooner or later someone is going to ask where it is and... I _can't_ tell them because I don't know."

Valoo followed the direction of her gaze with his own. For him the profile of Death Mountain was a familiar one he hadn't seen for the past thousand years since his home peak, Dragon's Mountain, had been left as a much smaller monolith upon the Great Sea. His days prior to the Sealing had been ones of solitude, with only a handful of Mountain Eagles inhabiting the slopes of the peak that had once towered over Death Mountain in terms of sheer height. This past millennia, a time of days filled with the daily lives of the tribe now under his protection, it had changed him. Never again would he be content with solitude. He now understood why his two fellow Great Guardians had chosen to live in harmony alongside the people, rather than take up the meditative association solely with the Aspect they presided over like he had. Land, Sea, and Sky, the three Aspects of the Mortal Realm, each with races unique to the challenges that living in each Aspect required of them.

He looked down at her, at this young woman of a Tribe he had effectively created, that he had given his blessing to allowing them to soar through the skies he loved so much. Thinking of what she had faced and overcome, he was filled with pride at what she had already accomplished in her life.

"Do not lose hope, Young One, the sword will be found when the time is right. Maybe at this time you are not meant to find it. Maybe _that_ is why you're having so little success. Trust that it will appear with time, and keep your faith in yourself. If _you_ lose faith, the people will as well. You worry that not knowing where the sword is will trouble them, but if you do not allow it to trouble _you_, they will have no fear of it either."

Medli sighed, his words reassuring her.

"Thank you. Though if you're right about the reason, I still can't help but wonder _why_ the sword would hide itself."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Watching through their window of the Mortal Realm, the goddesses mulled over what they had heard. Farore, her expression puzzled, sighed with something akin to slight annoyance.

"I can't help but wonder that myself. Why _would_ the sword hide? This isn't exactly going to help them when the Balance makes its move."

Nayru looked at the image again, at the Sage and the Guardian who continued to discuss those they were bound by duty to watch over.

"The Master Sword is Kaiayn's creation. I was there when he made it, there when he literally gave it a full _sixth_ of his divine essence... That's more than enough to give an object that small something of a consciousness of its own. It needed it, so that only those with the strength to use its Power to Repel Evil could wield it. If the sword knows they can't it makes it impossible for them to even pick it up. As for us, it having all that power blanks it out to _our_ awareness. We can't find it any more than they can. We might as well be staring at a wall for all the good it does us when we try."

The Goddess of Courage folded her arms, resigned to the situation.

"Well the Sages of the Sacred Realm are stuck until they find it. Though at least we can do something to let them know that finding it will be important to them. They can't open the Door into the Sacred Realm without it... Din'ira, do you want to do the honours?"

The Goddess of Power smiled, her red eyes moving back to the image as well.

"Gladly."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

It was like the faintest of shivers through the air, but it was enough to make Medli leap to her feet. Valoo was equally surprised, searching the skies with his gaze as he sought the source of that strange flare of magic. His search stopped as suddenly as it had started, as he turned instead to look at a pedestal nearby that held the treasure entrusted to him.

Din's Pearl was literally rocking in its place within the bowl of the stand, and as soon as Medli picked it up it began tugging towards the east. Realising what was going on, the sage broke out into a grin.

"It wants to go back to its statue. That means the Tower of the Gods is to be brought to the surface again!"

Valoo was just as pleased. If they ever needed such a good omen it was now.

"Then take it where it wants to go. I will contact Makar to move Farore's Pearl, and I think it would be fitting if Ruto got Nayru's Pearl from Jabun at Outset. I'll let her know to meet the two of you near the outer entrance of the South Passage."

Medli didn't have to be told twice. Seconds later a reddish-brown orb of light was streaking across the sky towards the coastline west of the North Passage. There, south of Windfall, the statue where this pearl belonged stood on a hill, lifted up by the new land that had rose beneath it.

It took her less than an hour to get there, and when she arrived and returned to her normal form Din's Pearl near pulled her off her feet as it strained towards the statue. Setting the pearl in place, Medli turned to face the south and in a flare of light flew off towards the South Passage.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A huge grin on his face, Makar set Farore's Pearl in the hands of the statue that stood on what remained of Eastern Triangle Island. The hill upon the new land was still triangle in shape, and from the air it was impossible to miss even without the glowing sphere pulling him towards it.

Turning to face a little north of true south-west, he took flight once more. Anticipation beating down on him as he pictured the look that would be on Ruto's face when the last pearl was put in place.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_What has them so excited? I've never seen Lord Jabun so wound up before. What does this pearl even do?_

Ruto raced north-east from Outset, having sprinted south from Zora's Domain to go see Jabun at Valoo's request. Now as she had been asked she was carrying a glowing blue sphere, with _no_ idea what the thing was for.

She continued to grumble to herself, a shining orb of sapphire light that was closing rapidly on the entrance of the South Passage. A flare of light to her left caught her attention, and there stood in mid air were two very smug Sages of the Master Sword. Seeing her turn and make a direct line for them, they became light once more and dashed ahead of her towards the distinct peninsula that jutted from the mainland's southern coast.

They descended to land on a suspiciously geometric shaped hill, on the top of which stood an earthen statue with arms folded to its chest, hands cupped ready to hold something. It didn't take a genius to realise what it was made to hold, and as soon as she landed next to the two grinning sages she strode towards the thing with the pearl held out before her. Stepping back after putting it in place, she turned and stared at the two of them when nothing seemed to happen except the pearl glowing and the statue making a faint resonating sound.

"Um... is that it? It doesn't look like it's doing anything."

Medli and Makar glanced at each other, their grins not fading so much as an iota. The Rito girl chuckled.

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that... Oh and if I were you I'd step a bit further away from that."

The Sage of Water continued to stare at her, confused, only to be flung face down in the grass as the statue behind her exploded.

Flipping over onto her back, she propped herself up with eyes wide as an azure coloured maiden was revealed, and watched as it lifted the pearl up to face the north-east.

Makar laughed as a beam of bright blue light shot out towards the location of Farore's Pearl, beginning to count.

"One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine... Here it comes."

From the north a ray of red light raced towards them and struck Nayru's Pearl where it lay in the grasp of the statue, forming the second side of a point that centred on the figure. Golden light flared in a wash like a horizontal layer at the same height above the land as the statue. The light vanished as fast as it had come, fading before a great golden flare lit up the sky beyond the horizon.

Medli pulled the stunned and confused Ruto to her feet and pointed towards the glow.

"Behold the Tower of the Gods. The place of trials where the Hero of Winds proved himself worthy and able to wield the Master Sword..." She put an arm around the Zoran woman's shoulders, giving her a small shake. "It's a good thing. It means things are getting better. The Tower is a symbol of hope for the people of the Islands, and I was forced to send it back beneath the waves when the land moving about beneath the sea threatened its stability. It's a focus of the Gods' Will, a place where the Gods look down on the people they preside over. A place where a hero holding the fate of a world in his hands was tempered by battle with the Tower's Guardian, Gohdan. The Gods are smiling on us, cousin."

Staring in awe at the white tip of what must be a truly phenomenally tall tower, Ruto's violet eyes lit up as a smile came to her face.

"So it would seem, cousin. Are you going to give me a tour?"

Makar ran happily across the top of the grassy hill, his feet skipping lightly through the last remnants of the winter's snow. Stopping to look back at them he continued to grin.

"We'll give you all a tour. Call up your fellow sages, Ruto. This is something I _know_ they won't want to miss."

Laughing, the Sage of Water obliged. The infectious elation of the two sages with her brightening her mood to the same joy. Something good at last, a definite sign of better times to come.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yep the Tower of the Gods is back, any bets on what I'm going to do with it? Hee hee. Merry Christmas everyone, and remember everyone who leaves me a Christmas comment in the reviews will be added to the list on the chapter I'm going to post on Xmas day.**


	51. New Door?

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well here's the Christmas thank you list, considerably shorter than I'd hoped, but still a big thank you to all those that replied in some way.**

1: Sparkling Moon Phoenix 2: Ninjauthor 3: PisceanPal23 4: Arisu Tsuranu 5: The-Jaron 6: Regina Raptorum 7: NC-chan

Thanks a ton guys, and Happy Christmas.

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 51: New Door?

"Well here we are, The Tower of the Gods."

Eight sages literally stood on the gently shifting water within the shelter of the ring of arches that surrounded the entrance into the tower. The rise and fall of the water in this sheltered area was little more than you would see upon a lake on a clear day, making it easy for these protectors of the land to influence it just enough to support their various weights. The tower was huge, six hundred feet in diameter at the base, and soared to a summit thirty-two hundred feet above them. The chambers inside the structure only actually took up the tiniest amount of possible space within. The rest of the tower was, as far as they knew, completely solid, which given the fact it was almost two thirds of a mile tall it probably needed that in order to support its own immense weight. All that didn't really matter to the six Sages of the Sacred Realm though... They were too busy gawking at it.

Nabouru craned her head to try and see the top from where they were standing, giving herself a crick in the neck in the process.

"That... is big."

Saria nodded in agreement as she also looked up at it.

"Really big... It's no wonder this thing can be seen from places like Windfall even though it's over a hundred and fifty miles away."

Makar interjected.

"Actually you won't be able to see this from Windfall anymore. The new land gets in the way of the view. You could only see the very tip above the horizon from that island, these days the new shoreline will blot it out."

Medli shook her head in amusement before setting off across the water at a casual stroll.

"C'mon, Makar. Stop playing around with words, we're supposed to be giving them a tour."

Sticking his tongue out at her retreating back like the child he appeared to be, the Sage of Wind trotted after her with the rest of the sages following close behind. Heading into the entranceway as though walking down a street and not across the shifting waves, the eight sages passed into the shadows and out of the glare of the spring sun outside. The first room they entered was floored with water in all areas but a few platforms to the left and right. Ignoring the laws of nature, and the sea this room was supposedly connected to, the water rose or fell by several feet every minute or so like the breathing of some great beast. Ignoring it, Medli walked on air whenever the water fell and guided them to the small door in the middle of the far wall. A few steps later and they found themselves in a small shaft that reached upwards about sixty feet or so.

Medli inched into the room, looking around and above before she stopped in the centre.

"There's used to be a lot of rats hanging around in here, they'd drop on you from the ceiling. I'd guess the tower being submerged for the past few months has convinced them to vacate the premises as it were." She led them across the room and stepped onto a floating platform, a touch of her power making it wait for them as she grinned. "Going up."

All of them were barely able to fit on the small square platform, and they could have just flown up, but it was more fun this way. Another touch of her power made the platform take them all the way to the top, rather than trying to switch platforms part way up, which would probably have resulted in more than a couple of them falling off. Giggling in amusement at the strange sight they must make at that moment, they finally stepped off at the top and passed through the nearby door. The next room made the two guiding sages pause.

Makar sighed, clearly annoyed.

"The three statues are gone... Aww man, that means we have to bring them in here to go to the upper level."

The Sage of Earth glanced at him sidelong.

"Get one each then go together to get the third?"

The Sage of Wind shrugged and said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Sure, I always wanted to play musical statues again." He looked over his shoulder at the other sages. "You guys might just want to wait here while we get the first two. Once you've seen one you've seen them all, so you can just come along for number three. We'll be back in a few minutes depending on how slow those things decide to move."

Makar going left, Medli right, they disappeared through the doors in those directions leaving behind six rather bemused sages. Standing in silence, not sure what to make of this new development, they waited until the sound of harp song reached their ears. Medli's door opened and she came through playing her harp as she walked. In her wake came a stout and rather short little dark grey statue with upward pointing horns. Blue lines glowing in patterns across it, it hopped slowly forward at Medli's commands and proceeded to position itself on a circular plinth that rose up as a column as soon as it was in place. Shortly after that the sound of a violin came from the other door as it once again opened to allow the sage and another statue with horns that stuck out to the sides and curled upwards to pass through. Once again the little statue hopped forward before stopping on what became its column as the other had done.

Sighing with resignation, Medli and Makar headed for the last door, the one opposite the door the group had entered through, Medli murmuring as they went.

"And last but not least, number three. The statue that has horns that curl down at the back to curl up at the front like a ram's."

The trip was short, the six sages not sure why their two fellows were so put out by getting the statues given the short distance, that is until Makar brought number three to life and it began to move.

It hopped forward with what quickly became agonising slowness by the time they'd got it to go just to the door out of its home chamber. Seeing their expressions as he continued to play, Makar grimaced.

"I'd pick it up and carry it, but these things are picky when it comes to sages moving them. A non-sage can pick one up and carry it to and through the next door, but if I sage tries it they fuse themselves to the floor and refuse to budge. Medli and I found that out when we came here after Ganondorf was defeated to check everything was alright, and that no moblins had tried to use the tower as a new home after Link began clearing them off the Great Sea. We had to open the upper level then as we're doing now, and that's when we learned how stubborn these things are... the little creeps." As if in response to the insult, the statue began hopping even slower, causing the Wind Sage to glare at it. "Alright, alright, you win. You're not a little creep. You're just doing what the gods made you to do."

It resumed its normal speed, much to his relief, and eventually they made it back to the central room and guided the statue into place. All three accounted for they began to glow and in a burst of light triggered the rising column of power on the plinth in the room's centre. It was this column of light that would lift the sages to the upper level.

Resisting the urge to make a rude gesture at the statues, Makar led the way into the rising energy and let it carry him upwards through an extremely long shaft that almost seemed to go on forever. Finally, after rising slowly for several minutes, they were gently pushed out of the light onto solid floor in a small circular room that centred on the shaft they'd just emerged from.

Heading to the only door out of the room, Medli looked back at them with a grin.

"I hope you like heights."

She opened it, letting in the glare of unfettered sunlight that blazed with there being no cloud between it and them. Stepping out into that light the six sages gasped in unison at the panorama before them. Clouds rippled to the far horizon below them, dazzling white in the light of the sun. Here and there small gaps revealed the dark blue of the cloud shadowed sea below, those small glimpses hinting at just how high up the tower they were. Turning and looking up revealed just a few hundred feet of tower left above them, a glance to the left as they had come out the door showing them where they would be going next... Stairs going up the outside of the tower, and there looked to be quite a few of them, a few as in actually a _lot_. The two guiding sages led them up those stairs, on a long climb that took them around one quarter of the tower's circumference at this height. Reaching the end of the external stairs and walking up the last few that pointed inwards inside a small passage, the two sages once again stopped in surprise.

Coming up behind them, the other sages peered around them and came face to face with a huge slab of rough grey rock, not white like the tower, but grey. In its centre was emblazoned a stylised harp in red.

Impa walked up to it, running a hand over the pitted surface.

"What's this rock for? I sense power to it, but not a power I'm familiar with."

Medli sighed and unhooked her harp from the strap across her back.

"It's an Earth Door. Step back a moment and I'll remove it."

The Sage of Shadow obliged as the Rito woman began to play a lilting song that, even to those present who had never heard it before, held a deep and resonant power. The Earth Door shuddered before a huge crack split it from top to bottom and it crumbled into dust that vanished as though it had never been. The next sight that greeted them had Makar groaning with irritation.

Saria chuckled a little at his discomfort.

"And I'm guessing the green violin picture on that one means it's a Wind Door. Looks like it's your turn, Makar."

Still groaning, he unhooked his violin from his back and began to play an upbeat turn that was no less resonant with power than Medli's tune had been. Just as with hers the rock slab split up the middle, crumbed, and disappeared to reveal the actual door they'd been heading for. Walking up to it, it was once again Medli who gave them the heads up before they entered.

"This is Gohdan's chamber, the guardian of the tower that the gods created to test those who would come here seeking to earn the right to wield the Blade of Evil's Bane. He's a disembodied statue of a head and hands, animated by the magic of the gods. We're not here facing the trial so he won't respond to us. Basically you needn't bother trying to speak with him, it would literally be talking to a wall, namely the wall he recesses into when not active."

Taking her advice to mind the group of sages entered, and this time it was the Sages of the Sacred Realm that froze in surprise.

Eyes wide, Rauru moved forward and stopped at the edge of the hexagonal dais that he knew for a fact wasn't an original occupant of the room. Gazing around he saw three short pillars of head height with golden wire cradles on their tops, cradles made to hold the Spiritual Stones engraved on each of the pillars themselves. Facing his fellow stunned sages, he spoke in a voice that, while shocked, still held a note of relief.

"I guess we've found the gods' replacement for the Temple of Time. Shall we give it a try? We have all the stones with us."

Medli and Makar watched as each of the sages took up their place upon their seal depicted on the great stone dais that had once been hidden in a chamber behind the Door of Time. Saria, Darunia, and Ruto each lifted a hand, a flare of green, red, and blue light respectively becoming glittering jewels with golden mountings that each drifted over to the pillar bearing its image. The Spiritual Stones in place, the six sages focused their will upon the newly discovered dais and tried to open the door to the Chamber of Sages within the Sacred Realm. The two watchers staggered as the whole room shook, the seals on the dais each lighting up with the colour of each temple's power, before a blinding flash filled the room... and left it exactly as it had been a few moments before.

A few moments of silence filled the chamber, before Nabouru stated in a flat tone.

"Well that was a bit of an anti-climax. I guess three Keys isn't enough. We must need them _all_ to reopen our access to the Sacred Realm."

Ruto sighed in defeat.

"Which means we're just as stuck as before since although we know where the Ocarina of Time is, the Master Sword is still missing."

They all looked at the two sages of said sword, Rauru giving them a sympathetic look.

"No pressure, I'm sure it will show up eventually."

Makar folded his arms and sighed.

"Some consolation when you consider the complete silence of the Sword these past few months. It's as though the moment Medli stopped the flow of power through it, it vanished off the face of the world. Our power can't locate it unless it stops being silent, so we're completely stumped as to where it is."

Saria grinned, holding up as hand as though a student asking for permission to speak.

"How about we abandon the magic and switch to mundane? You said it was underwater, right? So the sea currents would give a clue as to what direction it would have been carried, and as long as you know roughly where it was before the land rose then you can narrow down the area where it's most likely to be now. Things are going to be busy for this year, but there's nothing to say that next year we can't arrange some kind of methodical search of the most likely area. We'll start with where the sword _was_."

Humouring her, Medli answered.

"About three miles east by south-east of here, on the sea floor."

The Forest Sage glanced at the Water Sage.

"Which way do the deep sea currents go from that area? Or rather which way were they most likely to be going while the land was rising."

Ruto grinned, the question was an easy one.

"The same direction they're going now, momentum from the movement would set the currents into a matching pattern. The majority of the deep water in the Inner Sea flows in through the shallower North and East Passages, and out through the deeper South. We know the Sword is on land, so that puts it somewhere around the south-west corner of the Inner Sea, or somewhere along the South Passage itself."

Two bemused sages looked back at them, the boy of the two speaking.

"You just have to go and make it look so _easy_."

Saria giggled.

"We try."

Holding back groans, the two sages left the chamber with the other six in tow. At least one good thing had come of their 'tour'.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: This was going to be chapter 52, but I switched it round with 51 because it fit better. Now you know what I 'did' to the Tower, heh heh. And as for those statues, I couldn't resist poking fun at how slow they were. XD**


	52. Enduring Recognition

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the long wait, been suffering with writer's block on this again. :S**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 52: Enduring Recognition

In through the main city gate the wagons rattled, a line of eight wooden carts each pulled by a fine example of a Hyrulian Draft Horse. Coats of rich tan shone in the spring sunlight as one by one the drivers turned their wagons off down a side road leading to the town's storehouses where the produce brought in them would be shared out for the benefit of all until this year's crops were harvested and the rationing that had gotten them through the winter could be brought to a close. Where eight wagons once were, now only two trundled towards the town's great market square. One of them soon turned off as well, taking its load of wool towards where the wool merchants were located. There it would be sold.

The last remaining wagon trundled on its way, the driver glancing over at the red headed young woman riding beside the wagon on a mare with a glorious red coat. The mare had people stopping to watch her pass, the sunlight emphasising her black nose and the luxuriant mane of white that darkened to deepest soot at the base just like the white 'socks' that blended to black and then red on her legs. She was a horse descended of a legend. One of the rare and untameable Eponasians, descendants of Epona, the horse ridden by the Hero of Time.

Noticing the stares, the driver's expression became concerned.

"Are you sure it was such a good idea to ride Gisali here? Too long among these people and she's sure to become skittish... If only she would accept to be handled by others not of your bloodline. It must be damn inconvenient to have a herd of nearly four hundred of those things and only three people that can handle them."

The woman riding the mare laughed, smiling at him with amusement.

"They're hardly ordinary horses, Jemry. They're far smarter than your average equine and more than able to take care of themselves. If they're ill they come to the stable built especially for them, but apart from that and the occasional trip in because they want a brush, they tend to themselves. Only the ones like Gisali here stay near the house all the times, the rest roam the ranch lands as they please... deterring would be sheep and cattle rustlers at the same time. No thief in their right mind will try to steal any of my family's stock while they're on guard. We don't even need sheepdogs, we just ask the Eponasians and they bring in whichever flock we asked them to."

Jemry regarded her with bemusement for several moments.

"I don't think I'll ever understand you and those horses, Marla. Sometimes those things seem dammed crazy to me."

Again she laughed.

"You've only worked on the ranch for two years. Ask any of the others who have been there longer and they'll all tell you that besides the fact the Eponasians won't come near them, they're perfectly nice creatures."

Distracted by talking to Jemry, Marla failed to notice one particularly awestruck man at the side of the road reaching out to touch Gisali. The mare gave an angry squeal and lashed out with a hind hoof to skim the side of his head, and if the man hadn't ducked to the side at her whinny, he'd have had his teeth kicked out.

Jemry brought the wagon to a halt and jumped down to check on the man as Marla moved Gisali away from him and calmed her down.

"You idiot! Anyone with sense knows that an Eponasian won't allow anyone but the descendants of Malon to touch them. You're lucky you're not dead!"

Her mare now under control again, Marla gave the man a glare as well from her seat astride her.

"I've seen what the hoof of an Eponasian can do. When I was twelve a group of would be horse thieves thought they'd try and steal some of our Malonian Runners. There were some of the Eponasians nearby who heard the commotion and responded to the threat... None of the thieves survived, and one man had near had his head taken clean off by a kick like the one you just narrowly missed. Epona was a horse that faced all manner of monsters while she was ridden by the Hero of Time, and her descendants have certainly inherited her lack of fear and will to fight when they feeling threatened... Jemry is right... You're lucky you're not dead. Now get out of here." The man got up, the people around him shaking their heads at his lack of common sense, for unlike him they had remembered the warnings about trying to touch one of Gisali's breed. Looking nervously over at the horse that had nearly killed him, he turned and ran off down the street weaving around like a drunk from the shock of such a close call. Sighing as Jemry got back up onto the cart, Marla twitched her mare's reins and set off again. "Let's get moving. We'll lose the stall I had reserved if we don't get there before noon."

The people along the street setting about their business again, the wagon followed the rider on the red mare down the road once more, heading for the waiting market.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"See ya later, Tagen! It was nice sparring with you again."

The youth standing at the gates of the Training Yards waved at the speaker, smiling.

"Same here. See ya around, Link."

As Tagen, the youth he had thoroughly trounced all those months ago, walked away in the opposite direction down the street, Link grinned to himself and turned to head towards the home of the Mayor. He'd spent the winter here, training alongside the people of the city like Tagen, building up the casual respect among them that he preferred. They'd been all stiff and formal with him at first, but now after all this time among them they'd learnt to treat him just like any normal man who had earned respect, rather than the awestruck hero worship he'd put up with in the beginning. The size of the castle town no longer daunted him, and he had long since memorised its layout so that no matter where he was he could find his way to whichever place within the town he wanted.

Strolling towards the market, he pulled a scrap of paper out his pocket. His sister had scrawled the name of the book she'd asked one of the stall owners in the main market to get for her, asking him to check with them to see if it had arrived yet. Shoving the paper back into his pocket, Link sighed and continued on his way.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Wow, Marla. I never thought we'd sell all our trade goods so quickly."

Jemry blinked around at the now half empty stall, Marla perched on a stool beside him.

"And to think you questioned me booking a stall for just one day. Lon Lon Ranch leather is popular with people who like to make their own boots and shoes, and the first lot we bring to market each year always goes on a stall and not to the leather workers. And as you can see the jams and preserves we make are popular too, though we pre-sold most of this year's to the town for the rationing. Next year Ma wants to get her hands on some of those Sea Berries the Islander's grow. Pa managed to get a small jar of the preserve when he visited town before the snows blocked the roads, and after trying it she's determined to try blending them with some of the fruits we grow on the Ranch."

He stared at her, a little bemused by how casual she was with their suddenly changed lives.

"How do you do it? Accept so easily everything that's happened? Your parents and brother don't seem fazed by it either."

She patted him on the shoulder, her red hair near glowing with its colour even here in the shadow of the market stall.

"Ah, Jemry, when you're born in a family tied to a legend like the Hero of Time, you tend to be rather philosophical about strange occurrences. The sky could fall on me tomorrow and I'd just take a look around at it and start thinking about how to put it back." He continued to stare. "You'll get used to it."

For the second time that day an equine squeal of anger filled the air as startled shouts rose from the neighbouring stall. Something had come loose, and the wooden roof that capped it was falling over to land on the wagon parked behind Marla and Jemry's stall. With a thud it hit the top of wagon, the heavy frame of the permanent stall making it tip over towards Gisali who was tethered on the far side of it. In seconds the mare, already on edge from being around so many strangers, ripped her tether free of the teetering cart and charged out into the crowd.

Screams, both from people and the horse filled the square as Gisali panicked at finding herself pressed in among so many people she didn't like touching her. Too frightened to attack, she shouldered her way through the equally panicked people as members of the Town Guard closed in to calm what at this time they believed to just be your average unnerved horse.

Leaving Jemry at the stall, telling him to stay put, Marla threw herself after the Eponasian. Trying her best to shove her way through the people piling away from the screaming equine. It was like trying to force her way up a raging river, and she was pushed back again and again as she tried to yell loud enough over the screaming crowd to warn the Town Guard not to go near Gisali. Unable to get near in time, she watched as one of the reached out to grab the mare's dangling reins.

A scream of pain tore from the unfortunate man's lips, as one of the mare's hooves connected solidly with his shoulder, sending him flying backwards with the joint dislocated at the very least. As he collapsed shrieking to the cobbled ground, one of the guards lifted a spear, clearly deciding that since they couldn't get near the horse, she was too dangerous to try dealing with any other way.

Marla, seeing him preparing to throw the spear, screamed out.

"No!"

A blur burst through the ring of guards, turning out to be a young man with blond hair that grabbed onto Gisali's halter and dragged her head ground-wards as she tried to rear in response to his assault. Marla closed her eyes, waiting to hear the scream that would signal the mare ending the life of one so reckless as to try and subdue her.

Screams from the frightened crowd faded into the distance as she stood there, most of the people who had trapped her in their midst now gone. The shouts of the Town Guard stopped... And the squeals of Gisali faded suddenly into silence...

"Shhh, it's alright. Calm down..." Hearing a hesitant whinny, Marla slowly opened her eyes and was confronted by a sight she would never have thought possible. The Town Guard stood back in a ring around her mare... and in the centre of that ring stood Gisali responding to the touch and soft words of the blond haired man at her head. He saw her standing there, obviously the mare's owner from her expression. Taking hold of Gisali's dangling reins, he led the mare over to her as the men of the Town Guard backed out of his way with expressions of awe. "I saw the stall collapse from the other side of the square, so you needn't worry about being charged for damages to the market. It was a simple accident, so no one was to blame... Here." He passed Gisali's reins into her limp grip. "I'd best go and help things get sorted out. The sooner this accident is logged the sooner things will get back to normal here. If you need help getting that stall off your wagon, ask one of the Town Guard and they'll arrange assistance." He glanced at the nearest one, who accepted his authority in this situation. "I'd keep your horse well out of the way though if you do."

He started to walk towards one of the officials that were just coming across the market square, but came to a halt when Gisali near pulled Marla off her feet trying to follow him.

Marla looked between the now confused man, and the whickering mare that nuzzled at his shoulder.

"What in the name of the Goddesses? An Eponasian liking a complete stranger who isn't descended from Malon?"

Link faced her, now puzzled.

"Eponasian? Malon? Do you mean the Malon that knew the Hero of Time?"

She took a closer look at him, noticing for the first time his Islander clothing.

"Wait, you're from the Islands... How do you know about Malon? I thought only the general history of Hyrule was known out there, not specifics like her. As for Eponasians, they're a breed of horse descended from Epona, the horse ridden by the Hero of Time. He returned her to my family a few years after he bought her and after that he was never seen again."

Gisali nuzzled Link's shoulder again, still whickering as he suddenly realised what was going on and why she liked him so much.

He regarded Marla steadily.

"So she lets you handle and ride her because you're descended from Malon, right?" Marla nodded. "So if Eponasians can recognise a descendant of her, then I guess it's not that surprising that they'll recognise a descendant of the Hero of Time... I'm Link, the Hero of Winds, and the Hero of Time is my family's founder."

The young red headed woman was stunned, staring for several seconds before she responded.

"Y-You're..." He smiled and nodded. Shaking her head to clear it, she tugged at Gisali's reins. "Come on you silly thing. I know now why you like him, but that doesn't mean you can delay him helping to clean up the mess you've caused." She smiled at him. "I'm Marla, and as you'll already know now, I'm descended from Malon, the one who sold Epona to your ancestor." She tugged the reins again. "Come on... Enough stalling." Gisali looked at her with a single eye, before letting out a snort that was akin to a sigh and following her. Glancing back once at Link, Marla smiled again. "Thanks for your help. See ya, around."

She walked away with the mare in tow, Link glancing after her before he continued on his way towards the officials and the Town Guard began reassuring people that it was ok to continue with their business and that the panicked horse was back with its owner and secured. Turning away, he allowed himself a grin.

_She's definitely Malon's descendant alright. Link always did say in his journals that Malon was one to take the strangest things in her stride._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Greetings Miss Marla, if you would like to come in."

Marla hesitated, before crossing the threshold into Mayor Darthan's house. She and Jemry had just finished packing up the last few remaining unsold items on their stall when a messenger had given her a note from Link asking her to come to the Mayor's house. Fearing that she was going to get into trouble for Gisali's antics after all, she'd sent Jemry off to the inn as soon as her mare was secured in the very back stall of the nearby stables with the stable hands warned that if they valued their heads they weren't to go near her. Walking through the streets, following the directions given to her by the owner of the stables, she now nervously followed the footman that led down the hall way towards a door at the far end.

He stepped through the door and announced her, a kindly voice calling her in behind him.

Seeing her expression, which turned to surprise when she saw the room held a dining table with three people sat at it, Darthan waved her to a seat from his chair and reassured her.

"You're not in trouble, Link handled everything with a level of diplomacy I have to admit surprised me. He's a quick learner, and he's also the one that suggested you be asked to dinner, since he didn't get the chance to speak with you properly at the market."

Marla directed her startled gaze at the hero, while the blond girl opposite him grinned.

"That's my brother, for you. He's always surprising someone... So do I for that matter, but people always seem to continue underestimating me." Marla now turned to face her, getting a smile set below dancing green eyes. "I'm Aryll, Link's sister. So you're really descended from Malon? That's so cool. I've read all about her in my ancestor's journals. He really respected her, which it why he took Epona back to her when he realised the places he planned to travel to next, the terrain would likely cripple her. He travelled _all_ the way back to Hyrule to do just that. Leaving again after he 'blessed' the fountain that's in the market square. Navi told us about it while we were cooped up indoors during the end of autumn storms." She glanced around. "Speaking of her, where is she? I haven't seen her all day."

Link glanced at the clock on the wall, and then looked out the window.

"She went to hang around the Town Gardens. Something about watching me swinging a sword around at the Training Yards getting very boring after a while." He grinned. "Actually, it might be a good idea to open that window... Because this is around about the time that she usually comes..." There was a thud, and the next instant they could see a tiny little figure with huge crystalline wings slithering down one of the windowpanes. Link winced in sympathy. "...Back."

He got up and opened the window. Retrieving the stunned forest fairy before closing it again.

Holding her tiny head, green hair dishelved and green eyes nearly crossed from the impact, Navi groaned.

"Owwie... Who put that window in the way...?"

Link returned to his seat as Darthan chuckled and Aryll and Marla giggled. On the pretence of taking a closer look to see that she was alright, he whispered to Navi before putting her down on the little cushion placed on the table near him for her to sit on.

"Thanks for agreeing to break the ice with Marla."

The reply was too quiet for anyone but him to hear.

"You're lucky I didn't break my head... Ow..."

Passing her a lump of sugar to make up for it, and praying it didn't make her go nuts while Marla was still present, Link began chatting away to their guest. The conversation turning to times past, and stories of things from both families.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Watching the sun as it drifted below the horizon, the white haired man in his orange robes smiled with success at what he had just found. Ever since the discovery of the new location of the Door into the Sacred Realm, Rauru had felt a strange presence in this area. Much searching over the past few weeks had eventually led him to a point roughly ten miles south-west of Hyrule Castle Town. Here, hidden among a dense clustering of trees, he had found what could only be described as a miniature version of the Temple of Time, minus the rear chamber that had held the Door in the original. Grey stone walls pierced with tall arched glass filled windows rose from the ground to a neat tiled roof with a spire at one end, the inside floored with marble as the Temple of Time had been, centred upon which was the thing he'd sensed. The Consecration Stone of the Temple of Light, the physical source of the part of his power held out here in the Mortal Realm.

He wouldn't be 'rooming' at one of the other temples now... He has his own little place in the Mortal Realm to call home.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry again for the long wait, but what can I say, writer's block sucks. Happy reading :D**


	53. Old Hand at Something New

**Alaia Skyhawk: I've had a major unexpected hiatus on all my fics, as a result it's been the better part of a month since I updated **_**anything**_**. However, things have settled down again so I should be getting back into regular updates. Also I've started getting the writing bug for this fic again XD I have a chapter that I've written for much further on that I **_**really**_** want to get posted... Unfortunately this is chapter 53 and the one I can't wait to post is chapter 76 (Sighs)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 53: Old Hand at Something New

The wagons rattled along the stone paved road, over land of rolling hills and scattered clusters of trees. Wind rustled in the spring grass, and in the distance a small herd of deer watched the trade caravan pass with their ears pricked and eyes wary. A thunder of hooves came from the left, and as the people in the wagons turned their heads to look they saw a handful of horses with glorious red coats and white manes and tails charge through the grass to run in parallel with them for a moment before turning away and racing off ahead.

Watching them go, Marla laughed as she glanced at the two blond youths in the wagon she rode beside.

"We've been welcomed. By the time we reach the farmstead my parents will already know we're coming." She pointed to a stone poking up out of the grass. "That and others like it mark the boundaries of the land belonging to Lon Lon Ranch. It's the largest ranch in all of Hyrule, and it's the one that has provided the royal family with their riding horses for almost two hundred generations. This ranch was breeding the best horses in Hyrule hundreds of years _before_ the Hero of Time was born. However it was only after he made one of the horses, Epona, famous that people really began paying attention to us. People say we breed three types of horses here. But if you want to be completely accurate we breed four. We have a special line of Malonian Runners that are reserved exclusively for the royal family. The mare the queen before the Sealing rode, Starlight, my father bred that mare. All of our special Runners are white, and the herd of them is almost big enough now for us to register them as a new breed. We're planning on calling them Nayruan Runners, after the Goddess of Wisdom. Since the royal family are the Keepers of the Triforce of Wisdom. The name had only just been approved when Hyrule was attacked, and after that everything got put on hold. It's only now, months after the Rising, that the ranch is back to normal. We had to re-lay all of the border markers, since the old ones were lost, and we had miles of fencing to replace as well. If it weren't for the Eponasians keeping an eye on the flocks when we had no choice but to let them out of the fenced areas we still had to graze, we probably would have lost half our stock to the wilds. It's been rough, but we're getting there."

Leaning against the board that backed the driver's seat of the wagon, Link looked out over the land ahead.

"Lon Lon Ranch was a place my ancestor was very fond of. He mentions it a lot in his journals, along with numerous accounts of how much he respected Malon and her father, Talon. I'm glad I'm getting the chance to see it for myself." He glanced at her. "Would you mind if I flew for a bit? I'd like to get a look from the air."

Marla smiled back at him.

"Not at all. Knock yourself out."

As her brother leapt from the front of the wagon and soared upwards in a flurry of wing beats, Aryll sighed.

"Aww, I wish I could fly... I've still got over three years to wait before I can get a scale from Valoo. Rito get them when they're ten, but that's because their race is used to it. I asked about it a while back... Valoo started the Rito off at sixteen when he first set himself to watch over them, and it's only after all this time that it's been shifted gradually to the age of ten." She sighed. "I wish I could fly now... but I have to wait..."

The red haired girl regarded the blonde's resigned expression, before glancing at the wagon's driver and giving him a small nod. Taking the hint, he took hold of Aryll and threw her to the waiting Marla, who pulled the girl into place on the saddle just behind her.

"Then I'll give you a ride on Gisali instead... Hold on! Hyah!"

At the flick of the reins the Eponasian mare broke into a full gallop, Aryll shouting out in exhilaration as she clung to Marla. High above, Link heard the shout and glanced down, smiling at the expression on his sister's face. Turning his gaze back to the land ahead, he admired the view of rolling hills, myriad streams, neat fences, and the great ring of wall that surrounding the ranch itself on the horizon.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Lon Lon Ranch had changed little over the centuries. The cluster of homes that housed the main family and the ranch hands still stood on one side of the entrance gate and the complex of stables on the other. The tall tower of the grain storage still rose above the far side of the main paddock that served as a nursery area for mares and their foals. The track of beaten earth still followed the path of the tall fence around that paddock, a testimony to the fact that it was used as both a race track for spontaneous competitions and also as a training track for teaching horses the basic commands that would allow any rider to direct them, meaning that new owners never had to worry that their new horse would give them problems. Into this scene trundled the line of carts, all of which passed the two sets of buildings and turned right along the part of the stables that fronted on to the area containing the paddock. A little way along they turned right again and pulled into the area where the wagons were kept when not in use.

A small cloud of dust rose as Marla dropped to the ground from Gisali's saddle, and in a single practiced movement she had the saddle off the mare's back and the halter off her head. Used to this routine, the mare turned and left what was for her an uncomfortable proximity to the ranch hands, meanwhile her rider took a side door through to the stables and the adjacent tack room after gesturing for Link and Aryll to follow her.

"The ranch hands will take care of the wagons and horses, that's what we pay them for after all. C'mon, I want to introduce you to my parents before the mayhem of the evening meal." The two siblings followed her, watching as she entered a side room and hung the tack on one of the many racks in there, and then proceeding out of the far side of the stables and crossing the road to the main house. "The stables that the Eponasians use is over near the grain storage, that's where Gisali went. The stables on this side are just too close to all the ranch hands for them."

She opened the door into the house, and seconds later was near knocked flat by someone slamming into her.

"Sis! Sis! You're back!"

Looking down at the mop of red hair currently pinned against her waist by the arms of a six year old, Marla smiled.

"Yes, I'm back, Talo. Are you going to let go of me so I can introduce you to our guests?" The six year old promptly let go and peered through the open door behind her. Marla patted him on the head. "That's Link and Aryll. Remember how Dad told you about the hero who owned Epona? Link and Aryll are descended from him, so the Eponasians like them. I brought them to the ranch so that you, Mom, and Dad could meet them."

Talo blinked at the two siblings for several seconds before turning and running through the door he'd come through yelling at the top of his voice.

"Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad, hero people here!"

Watching him go, Marla smiled.

"He's going to be impossible to get to bed tonight."

Following her as she chuckled, Link and Aryll proceeded through the house until they entered a large sitting room. Talo was already there firmly ensconced in the lap of a man with hair the same vibrant shade as his two children, and whose bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he regarded the visitors.

"So, it looks like our two illustrious families meet again at last. I'm Greyan Lon Lon, and this is my wife Janice." The brunette woman sat darning a sock near the fire gave them a small wave with the hand that held the needle. "And I'm guessing that Marla has already introduced you to Talo."

As her brother smiled and gave a small nod, Aryll smiled as well with a small curtsy.

"Yeah, she did. It's a pleasure to meet you Greyan, Janice."

The latter laughed at the gesture.

"Oh you needn't use formality here." The sound of a door thudding open, followed by voices, came down the hallway outside the sitting room. "Ah, time to feed the rabble. If you follow me I'll show you to the dining room." Setting aside the sock, Janice got up from her chair and strode out into the hallway, pausing to stick a foot out and trip up one young man who was practically sprinting down it. "No running inside the house, Brin. You know the rules."

The young scrambled up off the floor, his expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Mistress Janice."

As he stood there with an expression like a wet summer's day, Janice shook her head with resignation.

"And so you said the last twenty times I've had to trip you up. Be off with you, Brin." Watching him go as he walked down the hallway, and hearing the increase in pace as soon as he turned the corner, she shook her head again. "That boy and his food..."

The evening meal turned out to be a very informal affair, with everyone arrayed around the two long wooden tables in the ranch house's large dining room. There were close to thirty people here at the ranch, with a fairly even mix of men and women, and it wasn't just the men who were willing to jostle with their neighbours to get seconds of the hearty stew that the ranch's two cooks had produced for the meal. Even as he watched Link saw one woman innocently stomp on the foot of the man who tried to get into the queue for seconds in front of her. As he stood there nursing his bruised foot, she just strolled onwards as if nothing had happened. The competition was all good natured though, since it was quickly clear that the cooks knew exactly how much to cook and dish out per serving so that everyone got seconds. There was a deep sense of camaraderie among these people, making it no wonder that for many of those here working at the ranch would be a lifelong career. Some would leave to work at one of the other smaller ranches, and some would join up with merchants as experts on looking after the horses that pulled the wagons of cargo, but there would always be some who would stay, as evidenced by the trio of elderly ranch hands who sat at the end of one of the tables. To that trio all the other ranch hands deferred, letting them be served for food first and giving them first choice of where they wanted to sit, though it would seem that the end of the table was their regular spot. When asked about the trio, Greyan had explained that they were actually retired. Their years of commitment to the ranch repaid with a secure home for their twilight years. Years which would be spent helping around at the main house and telling stories of their wrangling days, passing on words of experience to the next generation.

True to that, as soon as the evening meal was over the people at the tables moved to another large room filled with a rather mixed array of cushioned seating gathered from who knows how many places here and there. Once settled, one of the trio set about telling a rolling yarn about a frisky colt that in his youth had dragged him five times around the nursery paddock because it loved to run, and how the energetic creature had ended up becoming a six times winner of the annual cross country dash, a notoriously long and difficult race. Soon after that people began to yawn, and in ones and twos they made their way through the sprawling ranch house to their rooms, which was exactly where Link and Aryll were guided after the younger of the two fell asleep on her cushion.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Oh! They're so cute!"

Jancine smiled at the expression on Aryll's face, as the young girl watched a number of small lambs skipping about the field around their mothers. It was the first time the girl had ever seen sheep, or cows for that matter since there was a small herd of them in the neighbouring field. The islands simply weren't big enough to keep livestock that required a lot of grazing area, with pigs being the only farm type animal they had since the creatures would eat practically everything and could be fed scraps such as vegetable peelings and the ever useful pulp from the centre of weed trees. Cuckoos were another thing the girl had never seen before the land rose. A few of which she'd seen kept in a coop in the rear yard of the mayor's house. This had been her first time seeing them running loose though, with the fifty or so that pecked around in the grass near the house catching her off guard when she first spotted them. That event had been followed by Marla enlisting both Link and Aryll's aid in searching the grass in that area for eggs, turning up close to three dozen by the time they'd gone over the whole area. Marla had dragged Link off to show him the horses after that, while Jancine had asked Aryll to come help her check on the new lambs.

The woman turned, after tugging on the girl's sleeve, leading her to a narrow gap in the fence which had a raised plank straddling it. It was one of the 'styles' that had been described to her and her brother that morning, which could be easily crossed by a person, but were impassable to sheep, cows, and horses. No sooner than they were inside the field that the nearest of the ewes and their lambs began to move away, but Jancine knew what she was doing. A quick dash and a deft swing of the shepherd's crook she carried and the curved end of the stave caught the neck of the ewe she was aiming for. After that an expert grab with a hand and a quick twist had the creature on its back and immobilised, while close by its three lambs bleated uncertainly. Jancine then began to check the ewe over.

"I saw yesterday that her lambs seemed to be fighting for milk from her, which suggests she isn't producing enough for all three of them. I'm just checking her now to see if I'm right." She paused as she continued her examination, before after several moments continuing. "I was right, there's no way she's producing enough." She let go of the ewe, which immediately scrambled to her feet and ran, but before her lambs could follow, the shepherd's crook whipped out again and caught the smallest of the three which Jancine then grabbed. "This little fellow is going back to the stables. We'll hand rear him since as the smallest he's the one most likely to starve if all three stayed with their mother."

At this point the mother, upset at her lamb being taken, tried to charge Jancine. The woman simply side stepped her though, and gave her a good swipe to the rear with her crook. With a startled bleat the mother backed off, paced uncertainly for a moment, before a slight brandishing of the crook again made her back off completely and take her two remaining lambs with her.

Watching all this with an expression of awe, was Aryll.

"How did you make her back off like that? It's like she just gave up."

Jancine tucked the bleating lamp she held into the curve of her arm and began walking back towards the nearby style.

"The animals here all know me, and know that I have a no nonsense approach to dealing with them. If she'd kept trying to take the lamb back I'd have whistled an Eponasian over to drive her away from me." She pointed with her crook at a pair of white maned red horses standing in the tall grass outside the far end of the field. "It's the same for some of the long time ranch hands as well. Once they've been here long enough, if the Eponasians decide they like them a little they'll help them out if called over. They won't let the ranch hands get close to them, but they'll still help with herding and such if asked. It's for that reason that it's been centuries since this ranch has needed herding dogs. Why train a dog to do what the Eponasians will do far quicker and with less directing? A dog has to be given command after command to direct it in moving the farm animals, whereas with the Eponasians all we have to do is ask them to move the animals and say where we'd like them moved to. Now here, hold him." They'd just climbed over the style again, and now Aryll found herself holding a squirming lamb. "I'll show you how we hand feed them when we get back to the stables."

Taking a moment to show Aryll how to hold the lamb properly, Jancine then began to lead her towards the circular enclosure of the ranch complex a few hundred yards away, all the while telling her about the different breeds of them they had here.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Well I told you we had four breeds of horses, so now I want to show you the two you haven't seen yet."

Marla had Link firmly by the wrist, and was pulling him towards one of the fields close to the ranch complex. Her enthusiasm was infectious, so for all that being dragged around wasn't really his thing Link didn't object. His pockets had been loaded with pieces of dried fruit, and he'd had his ears filled with all manner of little tips and such for getting a horse to come over, or now not to get bitten, or kicked, or stepped on, or... Well, there were apparently a lot of things a horse could do to hurt you either on purpose or by accident and Marla didn't want anything happening to her guest.

Finally coming to a stop by a fence, she pointed to the black maned tan horses that were grazing in it. He took one look at the long legs, and light build in comparison to the similar looking Hyrulian Draught Horses, and he had a pretty good idea of what they were.

"Malonian Runners, right?"

Marla grinned, her expression telling him he was right.

"Yup. They're the fastest things on four legs after Eponasians and Nayruans." Link chose that moment to vault over the fence. "Um, these ones are young and only half tame, and haven't been saddle trained yet either. It's not a good idea to walk around in there."

The tone of her voice had gradually risen with concern as he'd gone further out. She was an experienced horsewoman and even she wouldn't go in that field unless she had Gisali with her. Link however didn't seem concerned in the slightest, and stopped a short way out and stood there staring off into the distance as if the runners weren't even in the field with him. One by one the creatures noticed him and stared at him, and then as if by magic one by one they came over slowly to investigate the stranger in their field. As Marla watched, a hand slipped slowly into a pocket and pulled out a few pieces of dried fruit which with equally slow movements Link dolled out to the horses now surrounding him. Then as if he were taking a simple morning stroll he walked through them back to the fence and jumped over again, the horses following him and then standing at the fence as he stroked their heads.

After glancing at her and seeing her surprised expression, Link chuckled.

"Well you said they naturally live in herds, so I figured that as herd animals they'd be curious about someone new in their field. And since I let them come to me, rather than me come to them, they weren't afraid of me."

Marla blinked several times.

"Are you sure you've never been around horses before? I've never seen a first timer handle them like that before. Heck my Dad was almost thirty, and me ten, before I saw him do something and have the horses respond like that."

The young hero shrugged.

"I guess I just have a knack for it. So are you going to show me the Nayruans?"

Pausing a moment, she then shook her head in wonderment before leading the way to the field where the Nayruan Runners were kept. The sight of the pure white horses running over grass with effortless grace keeping them both entranced well into the afternoon.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

It was late afternoon that the pair walked into the stables, Jancine watching them as Marla led him into the tack room and they came out again each laden with a saddle and bridle. Aryll was in the small straw floored stall next to her, firmly holding onto the bottle that was being sucked at rather vigorously by the lamb they'd brought in that morning. The little creature had near pulled it out of the girl's hands several times now, but it was clear Aryll was loving every minute of feeding it. As soon as the bottle was empty and the lamb settled down in the straw for a nap as many young creatures do, Jancine led Aryll out into the nursery paddock after picking up a bucket containing a number of stiff fine bristled brushes.

"Some of the mares in here haven't been groomed for a couple of days, though with the dry weather they don't need it so often. But we have a merchant due here some time over the next few days and they always seem to take seeing the horses shedding their winter coats as a sign of neglect. Brushing gets rid of the clumps that start to hang loose and look messy, but it doesn't make them shed it any faster. All it does really is tidy them up. Regular grooming is important in wet weather though, since being out in the rain can cause rain rot, a condition that makes their hair fall out where they've been wet too much. Grooming helps get the excess water out of their hair, and lets us check them for it as well. It's also important that they have somewhere where they can get out of the rain, which is why we have those shelters built at the edge of each of the fields where we keep horses."

She pointed to the long wooden structure on the far side of the paddock, which was little more than a plank wall and a flat plank roof held up by posts along the front edge. The wall acted as a wind break, and the roof would keep the rain off.

Regarding it, Aryll murmured.

"Looking after all these animals is a lot of work, isn't it."

She got a pat on her shoulder from the older woman.

"That's why we hire so many ranch hands." She pointed to where a few of them could be seen working around the stables, cleaning up and checking over the wagons before they would be stored ready for the next trip to Hyrule Castle Town. "There's no way Greyan, Marla, and I could manage all this on our own, and even when Talo is old enough to start helping out it would still be far too much. A ranch this size takes a real team effort to run and maintain, and all of us here take pride in our work. No other ranch in all of Hyrule is as well known and respected as this one, and we've pretty much got the monopoly on breeding and training horses. You won't find better anywhere else, and we always ask a fair price when we sell them."

She set the bucket down, pulling out two brushes and handing one to Aryll. She then whistled over the two nearest mares and demonstrating on one, showed the girl how to groom the other as foals belonging to the pair nudged at them playfully. After that the afternoon seemed to sail by. Link and Marla came back to the stables leading the pair of Malonian Runners she'd used to give him his first riding lesson on the track around the nursery paddock. Something that had been a lesson for her since he hadn't fallen off a single time and mastered the simple commands using reign and heel in a matter of minutes. From what Jancine could see as she'd watched the lesson while grooming the mares, the only downside for Link was that he was now walking with the typical stiff gait of one who has ridden a horse for the first time and was feeling the pain of sitting in the saddle for too long. She had no doubt that one of the ranch hands, Jemry quite likely, would show the young man to the bath house and settle him into one of the tubs to soak the ache out of his muscles. It didn't matter how much of a natural Link was with horses, no one ever got away from experiencing saddle ache.

Smiling as she led Aryll back to the stables to put away the brushes, Jancine allowed herself a small chuckle. It was always nice to have visitors to show around, and Link and Aryll were no exception.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Whew, I finally finished this chapter. The first scene only took me about SIX WEEKS to write, at about two lines a time and rewriting it about four times. The rest took me just two hours.. go figure :S**


	54. A Gift Beyond Value

**Alaia Skyhawk: Man, I looked at when I last updated this fic before yesterday and it was the 28th of JANUARY! AND IT'S NOW NEAR THE END OF APRIL!! O.o ...Man I hadn't realised it had been THAT long...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 54: A Gift Beyond Value

"C'mon, Link, time for a real ride!"

Marla dragged the startled Link across the ranch complex, towards the stables where the Eponasians would come to be groomed or get medical treatment. The stables where a handful of those special horses spent most of their time. It had been a week since he and his sister had arrived at Lon Lon Ranch, and it had been one filled with day after day of learning how the ranch was run and about the animals kept and raised here. He and Aryll had handled new born lambs and newly hatched chicks in the special cuckoo pen that protected them from any foxes that might be roaming ranch lands. They'd seen and been close to each of the four breeds of horses the ranch had, helped milk the cows, and even been given a crash course by Jancine about how to make cheese. Interspersed with all that were hours of laughter, with many little incidents involving the six year old Talo leading to the boy getting covered in dirt and dragged off my his mother to get a bath. Now the visit was drawing to a close, with the spring planting to start soon he and Aryll would have to leave for Outset tomorrow, or the day after at the very latest. With that in mind, it would seem Marla was determined that he do one last thing before he had to go.

As they entered the stables three snoot nosed russet heads poked over stall doors, two of them whickering hopefully when they saw Marla head for the saddle rack on the opposite wall. Watching her and looking at the Eponasians, Link realised what was going on.

"You're taking me riding on one of _them?_ But I only started learning to ride a week ago and you said the Eponasians are a lot faster than the Malonians."

Smiling, the ranch girl thrust a saddle into his grasp.

"Link, you're a natural at riding and you're sense of balance is excellent, and unlike the Malonians if an Eponasian feels you starting to slip they'll slow down without being asked. I asked Dad if you could ride Bredir and he said yes. I'll be riding Gisali." She pointed at the last horse, the one that hadn't whickered. "And that's Virra. She's due to give birth so she's staying in here until then."

Marla then looked at Gisali and Bredir, giving them a nod that immediately had them working the latches on the stall doors with their teeth, opening them with ease. Once the pair were saddled, and a rather nervous Link was perched on Bredir's back, they strolled out of the stables before breaking out into a flat out run heading for one of the side gates into the complex. Link's yelp of surprise as he clung to the saddle rising into the morning air.

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A giggle rose as the blond haired girl watched the two Eponasians charge out through the side gate, catching the attention of the man walking next to her.

"He he, the look on his face. He fights monsters out at sea without the slightest flinch and yet he's so nervous about riding a fast horse."

Greyan looked down at her, shaking his head a little.

"Ah but falling off a horse, especially one that's moving fast, hurts a lot. As much as being flung into a wall, and I can say that I speak from experience. Bredir won't drop him, I'm sure of that since he's a guest, but the silly clunk used to take great pleasure in 'playing'. He'd behave and then dump me without warning. I guess it was his way of teaching me to pay attention, since he only ever dumped me when my mind happened to be wandering." He picked up the pace a little, taking them around the side of the nursery paddock and towards the Eponasian stables. "Mind, there's no way Marla would have left to go ride if she knew Virra was already in labour. She started last night, so by the end of the day we should be hearing the patter of little Eponasian feet."

Aryll looked up at him, all of a sudden nearly jumping on the spot with eagerness.

"Really?!"

Reaching out he ruffled her hair.

"Uh huh. Now let's get over there and see how she's doing."

Aryll didn't need to be told twice. She took off like she'd been fired from a cannon leaving Greyan strolling along behind chucking.

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There was a shout of exhilaration as white hair streamed out like banners behind the red coated stallion as he soared over a fence as if it weren't even there. The shout had come from Link, who after riding for most of the day, bar a break for lunch, was now completely as ease on Bredir's back. The grass swept by beneath jet black hooves, as Bredir glided over the terrain as though it were as smooth as glass. Racing alongside was Gisali, Marla leaning forward close to the mare's neck to balance, her face flushed at the sheer speed they were travelling. The two Eponasians seemed to know that this would be Link's last chance to ride before he and Aryll had to leave, and as soon as Link was comfortable with riding on one of them they'd broken into a run that had gotten steadily faster until the youth was sure that if they'd come to a lake they were going so fast that the two horses could have run on water. The day had been idyllic, but it was drawing to a close.

As they sensed the change in his turn of thoughts, the two horses turned and headed back towards the ranch, slowing their pace until they were at a gentle walk as they finally entered their stable. Far from being empty as the two riders had expected it to be, it was instead occupied by Greyan and Aryll, who were intently watching whatever was going on in Virra's stall.

Marla jumped down from Gisali's saddle.

"Dad?"

The man glanced at her, as Link too dismounted.

"Brush down those too and just put the tack aside for now, I'll clean it up later. Grain has already been put in their feed buckets. Virra's about to give birth, so hurry up or you might miss it."

The words had instant effect on the young woman, who in the space of about fifteen seconds had removed the saddles and bridles from both horses, hung them over the rail of an empty stall, and shoved a grooming brush into Link's hand at the same time as grabbing one for herself. In the minutes that followed, she might have been working at speed but she didn't so much as miss a single spot on Gisali's hide as she groomed her, and worked just as fast to help Link finish cleaning up Bredir. The two Eponasians returned to their stalls to eat their meals, she then dragged Link over to where the watching pair had stood vigil over Virra for most of the day.

Leaning on the rail beside her father, Marla gave him an accusatory look.

"If she's close to it now, then she must have started last night... and you didn't tell me..."

Greyan sighed.

"I knew you'd stay in all day if you knew, and you'd been so looking forward to taking Link out on Bredir with you on Gisali. I didn't want to spoil it for you and have you spend all day in here when Link and Aryll have to leave tomorrow."

She held her silence for a moment, before letting out a resigned sigh and turning her attention to the mare in the stall.

"You're right..."

Her father hadn't been kidding when he'd said to hurry or miss it, it was clear that Virra could drop her foal at any moment. Eyes watching every move the mare made as she shuffled uncomfortably around the straw lining the stall, she almost slipped from her perch on the rail at what came out of her father's mouth next.

"Link, Aryll, I'm giving the foal to you two."

"WHAT?!"

Three sets of eyes stared at him, all of them where shocked. He chuckled.

"The Hero of Time returned Epona, a horse he had bought and paid for, to this ranch asking nothing in return. From her we got a number of fine foals, who became the starting stock for the herd of Eponasians we have today. This ranch has gained a great deal from his returning Epona to us, and as descendants of him I think it only right that the two of you get a descendant of his horse. He or she will be yours, but will be looked after here with the other Eponasians since I know that the Islands are no place for a horse. You can come here any time you like to ride them."

Before Link or Aryll could answer there was a thud amongst the straw. While they'd been staring at Greyan, Virra had gotten on with it. Now four little wet legs kicked at the air for a moment until their owner rolled onto their chest. Seconds later and the little foal was already trying to get to their feet as Virra started to nuzzle at them. Marla entered the stall, helping the foal to their feet as Virra continued to nudge at her baby. She leaned over, checking the foal's belly.

"It's a girl." She turned her head to look at Link and Aryll, who were transfixed by the sight of this little creature that Greyan said was theirs. "So... What are you going to name her? She's yours after all."

The two blond haired siblings looked at each other, before breaking into identical grins as the elder of the two spoke.

"Well if it's a girl then there's only one name that'll do... Epona."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The skies were clear and the wind blowing to the west, as if nature itself wanted to see them safely on their way. In the nursery paddock a short distance away a small slightly fluffy looking foal skipped about her mother in the light of the sun, running around now and then with the other foals in the fenced off area. Two siblings watched her, taking one last look while they could.

Giving the straps of the carry harness one last check, tugging on buckles to be sure they were secure, Link slung an arm around his sister's shoulder as the two of them faced the assembled gathering of Marla, Greyan, Talo, Jancine, and all the workers on the ranch. It was time to go.

"Well I guess this is goodbye for now. It's going to be a while before either of us can visit again."

Stood with her husband's arm around her, and her son and daughter at their sides, Jancine smiled.

"You'll always be welcome here, and so will you're descendants. Our two families go back a long way, and I'm sure they'll continue to go on as friends. Safe trip back to Outset, Link, Aryll. May the winds speed you home."

Smiling his thanks, Link gave them all one last nod of recognition before taking a step back from his sister and spreading his wings. In a flurry of feathers he was airborne, Aryll suspended in the harness beneath him. Angling his wings to follow the wind, the ranch began to swiftly disappear behind them and the shouts of farewell faded from their ears.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Shortish, but when I tried to make the scenes longer they just didn't have the feel I wanted. Ah well, on to the next one! :)**


	55. Springtime Toil

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's another one :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 55: Springtime Toil

"C'mon, Link! You can go faster than that!"

The young man looked back over his shoulder, to where his sister stood steadying the plough that _he_ was currently hauling through the soil of their family's area of farming land on Outset. Being against a north facing cliff, just behind their house, it wasn't the best land on the island but it was good enough. Still, after being pounded down by the heavy rains of the end of autumn storms the soil of the Islands tended to form a tough layer on top that needed a plough to break without it taking several days to do one field. Of course with no heavy livestock the people of the Islands were left with only one option... pull the heavy ploughs themselves. With that fact about the tool in mind, Link scowled a little.

"You try pulling this thing and see how fast _you_ go. I've been hauling this thing all morning so of course I'm going to start going slower as I get tired."

Turning away from her he started to pull again, startling her since she wasn't expecting the plough to start moving again so soon and nearly making her fall off the footboard. That wouldn't have pleased him much either, since without her weight to keep the point of the plough in the ground it would have lurched upwards, forcing him to come over and shove it backwards and back into the current furrow they were making across the small field behind their house.

Steadying herself and getting a firmer grip on the two high handles that arched up from the base of the plough, she continued the routine of pushing off with one foot on the unploughed earth to the side to keep the contraption upright as it moved.

"Sorry, it's just that you promised Orca and Sturgeon you'd do theirs since they're not going to be able to borrow Abe's plough this year. It broke yesterday, and everyone else who owns one has already promised to loan theirs out to the people living near them and to those who didn't get the chance to borrow it. Orca and Sturgeon are the only ones left and if they're going to have their field ready to sow by the end of the week then..."

Link cut her off with a voice filled with resignation.

"I know, I know... Planting starts in two days and there's no way anyone else's plough will be available before then. And since ours is a new one bought and sent to us by Dad it hasn't been dulled by long use and will go through the soil easier and faster, meaning we'll save time doing our own that I can use to do theirs."

He fell silent after that, saving his breath for the effort of pulling the plough. He'd done this every spring bar one since he was eight, that one year being when he was off sailing the Great Sea on the adventure that had made him a hero. That first year he'd insisted on doing it himself half the men on Outset had bet that he'd not get half the family's field done before he gave up exhausted, but sheer stubbornness had him finish the whole thing... and sleep for over a full day afterwards. No one had queried his being able to do it the following year, and after that it became established fact that so long as his family could borrow a plough then they'd be able to set up their field for spring planting without any help. That had been an important achievement for Link, since it meant proving that he'd be able to support his family without their having to rely on the charity of their neighbours. Borrowing a plough though wasn't considered charity, since it would be rather pointless for every single family to own a plough. Someone who had one would share with their neighbours, and whenever it broke or needed repairs the neighbours would pay for those in return. It was a simple system that worked for the people of the Islands, and besides it encouraged friendships and kept the bonds within the community strong.

Reaching the end of the row, Link turned and with Aryll's help moved the plough to the side and faced it in the opposite direction to a moment before. Walking out in front of it once more, he pulled the hauling lines taut as Aryll jumped down on the footboard to drive the point through the hard topsoil to start another furrow, which thankfully was the last one to finish their field. Right on the edge of it now, there was just one narrow band left before the whole area would be reduced to well turned earth ready for planting. By the time he'd reached the end of it Link wanted nothing more than to go sit down and slack off for the rest of the day, but the field owned by Orca and Sturgeon happened to be one of the largest on the island, and with the wind still coming from the west the threat rain making the soil too wet to plough was all too real. Today with the clear sky, it would be stupidity to waste such perfect weather for the task at hand.

Sighing, Link sent Aryll off back to their house as he brought over the board he would use as a sledge to take the plough across the terrace. Dragging the thing through the soil was tough enough, but knowing that he had to drag it to Orca's, plough his field, and then drag it back home was near enough to make him give up. He didn't though, that stubborn streak that had kept him going when he was eight keeping him going now. He'd just reached the old swordsman's house when the house's ground floor resident came out to meet him.

"It's good of you to help us out, Link. Are you sure you don't want me to go ask Abe to come pull it. That way you can go rest."

Still dragging the farming tool on its improvised sled, Link glanced sidelong at Orca.

"It's ok, I don't mind doing it, and it'll be easier with you on the footboard than with Aryll. Sure she helps push it, but she's not as good at it as you are."

The old man laughed, walking over and helping to shove the plough towards the field by the house.

"That comes with experience, Link, and when you only plough once a year that experience certainly only comes with age. Your father was no dab hand himself when he first learned ploughing from the footboard side. Pulling it is simple, but making things easy for the puller is an art that takes time to master."

The two of them reached the field, lifting the plough off the board and into place at the very corner of the field. Link slipped into the hauling harness, and seconds later after a firm tap from Orca's foot to set the point into the ground the two of them were on their way along the first of many furrows, the old man giving the plough an almost constant push from behind and yet still stepping on the footboard often enough to stop the tool from jerking up out of the soil. He made Aryll's efforts look clumsy, and as evidence of his skill at making things easier for the puller they were going across the field at a much faster pace than had been the case at the other field. Before Link even knew it the first furrow was done and Orca was already turning the plough around for the next before he'd had a chance to walk over to it.

Setting off again, he sighed.

"It's times like this that always make me think. There are folks in Hyrule Castle Town, professional soldiers from longstanding soldier families. I've heard them go on about how farmers have it easy, and how nothing compares to the efforts of fighting a battle... Those guys have clearly never worked on a farm. I've done both, farming and fighting battles... and I have to say I think farming is a lot harder."

Giving the plough a shove through a particularly tough spot, Orca replied.

"You have to remember that on the Mainland they have oxen to pull their ploughs and wagons to move their crops from the fields to their food stores. We don't have that out here and so do many of the tasks of farming by ourselves. You'd never find a farmer with a horse or oxen who would pull a plough himself. However, one thing I can say in opposition to the soldier's perspective is that battles are rare, and so they will spend most of their working lives doing nothing but training exercises and standing guard, all the while being paid for doing so. Earning money to buy food by doing that is a damn sight easier than growing the food yourself."

Link kept pulling, thinking over what Orca had said.

"Good point. I'll have to use that one the next time I'm in Hyrule Castle Town and I'm at the tavern where the soldiers hang out during their off time."

That got a raised eyebrow from the old swordsman.

"Tavern? Does your father know you've been spending time in ale houses? Not getting drunk I hope."

"_Orca!_" Link looked back over his shoulder, flushed with embarrassment. "Do you seriously think that I'd get drunk? I may have gotten the people of Hyrule Castle Town to see me as a person and not some legendary warrior to be looked at with awe, but that doesn't mean I'd get drunk in front of them. Do you have any idea of how fast gossip spreads in that town? If I got drunk on an evening then by morning I'd be getting disapproving glances and muttered comments from the entire population before the sun had even risen. 'People in the public eye must behave as an example of a law abiding well mannered citizen of the kingdom'. That's what Darthan told me the first time Gerril asked me if I wanted to come visit his favourite tavern. He also pointed out that as a close associate of Tetra's, if I do something personally disgraceful it would look bad against her, and she's got enough on her mind already."

The old man frowned thoughtfully.

"Still, going into a tavern and not drinking anything. That in itself might make you appeared something of a wimp to the regulars."

Link began to mutter with exasperation.

"If you must know I had the bartender doctor all my drinks. At any time only a quarter of what was in my tankard was ale, the rest was water, and I never had more than three of those per visit. Basically I never drank more than three quarters of a tankard worth of ale in one go."

Orca began to chuckle.

"That couldn't have tasted all that good, and you stuck to that all the time?"

This time Link gave him a wry smile.

"Actually it's not that bad and I've acquired something of a taste for it." He laughed "I tried some un-watered ale back at Darthan's, and it took all my self control not to spit it out as soon as I had a mouthful. A bit too strong for my liking, and all in all it works in my favour. I don't look like wuss in front of the men when I visit the tavern, and I don't get disgracefully drunk either."

They reached the end of the furrow, turning the plough and starting another as nodded in agreement.

"That it does, Link. That it does... Now enough chit chat for now I think. The less we talk the faster we'll get this job done."

In complete accord the two continued to plough the field in companionable silence, finishing not too long before the sun set on the end of the day.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The weather was being kind this year, with clear dry days during the ploughing, and now with the seedlings that had been carefully grown in trays in the most sheltered parts of the island being planted out a thin veil of clouds covered the sky but without releasing rain. The cool shade the cloud gave them kept everyone comfortable as nimble and practiced hands made quick work of placing the delicate seedlings in their rows across the fields of the island. Planting took longer than ploughing, but even so at the rate the combined efforts of the island's inhabitants were going this first of the year's land crops would be in the ground by the end of the day. Everyone was enjoying the time spent with each other in the fields, with planting being the only time other than harvesting where the entire population of the island worked at one task. It was a community effort, and one that everyone took great pride in.

Now and then those planting seedlings would find beakers of water brought to them, or small baked snacks wrapped in napkins, the island's children giggling as they darted along the rows in the fields to see who could finish their 'food run' first. Nothing spoke of peace more than the sight of people laughing and working alongside each other, and Link couldn't help but wonder if the people on the Mainland were settling in to this new year under new circumstances as well as the people of the Islands were. Sitting on the porch of his family's house, the field behind it now covered with row after row of tiny leaves waving in the breeze, he sat there relaxed in the knowledge that his and Aryll's share of the planting was done. They'd gone all out that morning, as their grandmother repeatedly told them to slow down in case they gave themselves heatstroke or something of that kind. As soon as they'd finished she'd plied them with cool drinks and a pile of little sandwiches she'd made, making sure they were comfortable before heading back into the house to finish making finger food for the little get together that would be held tonight to celebrate the end of the spring planting. As a rule food for this get together was always things that could be picked up easily and didn't make too much of a mess, that being because after all the ploughing and then bending over to plant the seedlings it had become an island tradition that everyone who could swim would head into the water to clean up and cool off after all the work. The result was always a large number of water fights, and people darting in and out of the water to the food tables to grab a snack before diving back into the mayhem.

He sighed.

"Day after tomorrow I'm gonna have to get the Red Lion back out of the boat shed and head to Dragon Roost. I've hung around doing odd errands and getting to know and reassure the people on the mainland for long enough. I sent a letter to the Rito Postal Service last week, telling them that I'd be available to start the parcel run up again once the planting's done... I got the reply yesterday telling me that it would be appreciated since there are a lot of people wanting to send things back and forth, especially with that pen friend idea that they set up being a huge success. Apparently there are already Islanders wanting to visit their Mainlander pen friends and vice versa... The fact of the matter is that for the past few months my income besides what I'll get from Zunari has been zero. I need to earn a wage if I'm to support the family."

The sigh that came from the girl beside him was filled with disappointment, but was also resigned. Aryll set her empty beaker on the wooden porch floor beside her chair.

"I guess you have to... You can't hang around having fun all the time. I still wish you could stay at home though."

Link reached out and ruffled her hair, for once she didn't protest his messing it up.

"So do I, Sis, but I miss sailing as well. I need to get a deck under my feet again, the sea spray on my face... Besides Navi is starting to drive me nuts after she came back from visiting the Kokiri. I seriously need to distract her with something."

Both of them winced at that. When they'd gone with Marla to visit Lon Lon Ranch the little fairy had gone back to the forest to see how things were with the five youngest Kokiri. She'd met them back here on Outset shortly after they themselves had returned ready for the planting, and while her stories of the fun she'd had with the Kokiri had been amusing at first, Navi's hyperactivity as she randomly repeated what she'd already said several times over the past couple of weeks was becoming extremely irritating. Just that morning Link had come within a hair's breadth of grabbing her and stuffing her into the nearest pot and locking down the lid.

A shout went up across the terrace, a small scrap of yellow cloth tied to a stick being waved in the air. In response Link grabbed the similar stick next to him and did likewise, others just like it waving from points all over the various terraces while one man on the topmost terrace checked out the far side of the island with his telescope. Another shout went up after the flags were counted, with the man up top waving a blue one. As a massed cheer rose from the people of Outset, Aryll grinned.

"The planting's finished! Party time!"

"Did someone say 'party'? YAY! PARTY PARTY PARTY PARTY PARTY!!"

The two siblings grimaced as the aforementioned fairy shot out through the open door of the house and began madly zipping about before she took off in the direction of the section of beach where tables had been set up ready for the food everyone would bring down from their homes. Watching her go, Link brought a hand up to his head.

"I swear those Kokiri must have fed her something. She's acting worse than if she'd eaten a bowl full of sugar."

Watching the little ball of light skimming about the beach, her giggles audible even from this distance, Aryll had to agree.

"I'd even go so far as to say she's acting drunk... Hey didn't you tell me that when you visited the Forest Haven, back before the land rose, that you found those berries that had been frozen over winter but which turned out they'd been fermenting while on the bush... You know, the ones you said got you so drunk after eating them that you fell asleep _just_ outside the reach of a Deku Baba, slept through it trying to repeatedly bite your head off, and then when you sobered up you were left with a six day hangover... You think she might have... Y'know... eaten some of those. It _was_ the right time of year for them."

Link suddenly began to laugh.

"If she did and she's been drunk for almost two weeks... I got a six day hangover from being drunk for about two. So if she's been drunk for almost two weeks then she's looking at having a hangover for a _month_."

Aryll began to laugh as well.

"Ooo, that's gonna _hurt_. Serves her right for eating them though."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Ooooowwowowowow... Uhhhhhhh, my head..."

Navi looked almost as green as her hair as she sat on the windowsill clutching her head. It would appear that Aryll's idea about the forest berries had been right, and now the little fairy was suffering from the mother of all hangovers. It didn't help that Link was also just about to leave for Dragon Roost, and since she'd effectively attached herself to travelling with him she now had to face sailing across the sea while hung over. The thought alone seemed to be making her seasick. She wasn't getting much sympathy though, not with how irritating her drunken hyperactivity had been for those around her. Down at the pier Link was packing away the last of his travel gear... along with two large packs belonging to the passengers who had asked to come with him as far as Nae Lanai.

Orca and Sturgeon, true to the thought they'd had several months back while talking to Vallandra, had asked Link if they could come with him on a trip. Now the shorter of the two was merrily standing on the deck of the Red Lion waving his walking stick around, while the taller helped to prep the ship to leave on the evening tide. Watching his brother, Orca couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a long time since my brother and I sailed, and I'm actually surprised he only asked to bring _four_ books with him... I was expecting his whole library."

Grinning at the reference to Sturgeon's love of research and reading as he climbed down through the cargo hatch to give things a last check over, Link chuckled.

"Ah but they were books about the history of the Islands... I think he's planning on 'helping out' at the new school they set up in Nae Lanai. You know the one where they're going to set up a student exchange system so kids from all over the Islands and Mainland get to spend some time learning alongside each other."

The old swordsman sighed in resignation.

"Why am I not surprised? Let's just hope the school's shelves are study. Those books are old and very valuable, and he wouldn't take it too well if they got damaged."

Climbing out again and closing the hatch with a thud, Link's grin just widened.

"I wouldn't worry about it... I figured as much and used my piece of the Triforce to spell them against damage. I could fire a hundred rounds of cannon shot at them and they wouldn't take a scratch." He looked up at his home. "Navi! Get your butt down here, we're ready to leave!"

It was a very reluctant fairy that wove her way down to the ship and immediately clung to the mast as though her life depended on it. Smiling as he pulled up the anchor, while Orca undid the mooring lines, Link then hoisted the main sail and the Red Lion began to pull away from the pier and Outset to a ship happy shout from Sturgeon as he continued to wave his walking stick.

"Onwards to glory on the high seas!! Hahaha!"

As the old man then began to totter about the deck with a great big grin on his face, Link and Orca just had to smile at how happy he was. While they may not find glory, it still promised to be a fun trip.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: FUN! Hehehehe, the next two chapters are gonna be really fun to write. :)**


	56. On the Sea Once More

**Alaia Skyhawk: And another one :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 56: On the Sea Once More

To say the atmosphere on the Red Lion was jolly was an understatement. With Orca and Sturgeon both elated to be out among the waves after so long being land bound, it was impossible not to be happy in response. Even Navi, with her hangover, had managed a few smiles and laughs at some of the stories the two old men had regaled Link and herself with while the ship was taken on a painstaking zigzag path to head to the Forest Haven against the wind blowing from the west. Every few hours Link had to turn the ship, and at over a week and a half after leaving Outset they'd only just passed south of Ice Ring Isle. At the current pace it would be about another week before they made it around the end of the Forest Peninsula and to the new dock on the eastern side. Not everyone could use that dock though. With the return of the Kokiri Forest the 'curse' associated with it had also returned. Only those with permission from the Great Deku Tree could enter the area and not be harmed. Link obviously was one of them, and anyone on his ship would also be granted temporary permission so long as they were travelling with him and didn't wander off too far.

"Life on the open sea! Yeahahahaha! Woooooo!"

The shorter of the two brothers tottered across the deck, waving around the fishing rod he'd just picked up even as he walked about as if it weren't a shifting deck beneath his feet. Sturgeon certainly hadn't lost his 'sea legs' in all his time on land, and in fact he was walking about the deck with more confidence and speed than Link had seen in all the time he'd known him back on Outset. Still watching as the old man plonked himself down on the rear of the deck where he could get good aim over the rail, Link chuckled from his place at the tiller as the baited hook sailed out to land in the water and be dragged along behind the ship.

"I've never seen him so happy to be doing something other than reading. Back when you said you two used to travel the seas as swordsmen I found it hard to believe, but seeing him now I can tell that it's true. He didn't so much as blink when that mob of squids attacked us the other day, just stood there poking the one that grabbed on to the side of the ship in the eye with the end of his fishing rod. Speaking of which I'm glad I took the time to make some, he's been having a great time catching fish for lunch and dinner..."

"And supper, and I'm sure that by the time we reach Nae Lanai we'll be heartily sick of the sight of it." Orca laughed from his place beside Link on the tiller bench. "This trip is the best thing for him in the long time. He spent so much time cooped up with his books that a blast of good sea air will do him the world of good... It was nice to see a touch of his old spark too, with that squid. It makes me wish you'd had the chance to get that pictobox of yours out to take a picture of it. People back on Outset would never believe he'd do that, and we've got no proof he did."

"Yahahahaha! Gotcha!"

They turned to see Sturgeon haul in his biggest fish yet... big enough that it would feed all three of them for a couple of days at least. How the old man managed it considering it was easily more than half his size neither man on the tiller bench could guess. Watching as Sturgeon gave the fish a whack between the eyes to stop it squirming and then drag it across the deck to fasten it in the net he had set up for that purpose, Link started to look a little discomforted with the prospect of what it meant for their upcoming meals.

"I think I better find something else for him to do. If he keeps catching ones like that..."

Both men grimaced, the elder getting up to go distract his brother from any more fishing.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Hoy, Link! Long time no see!"

A blond haired boy in green waved from the shore where he stood on what was probably the only space without trees on it for about fifty miles. The Forest Peninsula was surrounded by cliffs on all sides but for where it joined onto the rest of the Mainland, and this was the only place where a path up those cliffs existed at sea level.

Link waved back, while Orca helped him bring the Red Lion to a stop beside that single low section of land.

"Hoy, Makar!" The ship stopped, its captain kicking the buffers over the side and leaping to shore with the mooring line ready to go around the rock next to the Kokiri boy. He grinned. "I hear Navi had a great time during her visit... Such a great time that now she's still paying for it the better part of a month after she sobered up."

Makar broke into giggles.

"We warned her about the berries but she didn't listen and ate almost half a bush worth, when no one was looking, just before she was due to head to Outset. The Deku Tree warned us never to eat them once winter has passed...Tido didn't listen to the warnings either though and ended up giggling constantly for three days until the effect wore off. He's learnt his lesson now though, and has been giving those bushes a wide berth ever since." The Wind Sage glanced at Link's two passengers, who had just stepped off the ship onto the shore. "And who might you be? I'm Makar, one of the Kokiri, and this is the Forest Haven."

Orca walked over, taking up the offered hand and shaking it.

"So you're the infamous Makar, Sage of Wind. I've heard a lot about you from Link and from rumour over the past few years, and I have to say it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He looked up at the path that wound up the cliff above them. "And who might you be?"

The green haired girl who had come down the path, and who like Makar looked no older than ten, grinned down at them.

"I'm Saria, Sage of Forest. So you two are friends of Link, from Outset. It's nice to meet you." She turned, glancing back once before heading up the path. "Well as friends of Link I formally give you permission to walk within this forest. The Deku Tree isn't the _only _one who can grant safe passage through this area."

As she broke into a run and slipped out of sight over the top of the cliff, Sturgeon looked a little bemused.

"She's awfully authoritarian for a little kid... How can someone so young claim to have authority equal to one of the Great Guardian Spirits?"

Link and Makar immediately burst into laughter, the former eventually managing to get something intelligible out of his mouth over the chuckles.

"Sturgeon, the current Great Deku Tree, who is the second, is about two and a half thousand years old, and he grew to replace the previous one who died because of a curse... Saria was created by the _first_ Great Deku Tree not long after _he_ was created by the Golden Goddesses... In terms of age she makes the Deku Tree we have now look like a little kid. She's the oldest living being alive to this day."

The little old man fell silent, eyes wide with shock.

"Uhhh... She is? ...Oh..."

Still laughing, Makar grabbed the stunned old man's wrist and tugged him up the path.

"C'mon, I'll introduce you to everyone else. All the other Kokiri besides Saria and the five new ones are the same age as me. They'll love getting to meet someone who's so much younger than they are."

Sturgeon's expression by this point was difficult to describe, but it seemed to be a mix of confusion, surprise, bemusement, and a few other things Link couldn't be sure of. Laughing as he watched the pair slip out of sight at the top of the cliff, the young hero set off after them.

"Makar is enjoying this far too much..."

Orca followed him, smiling.

"Still, it's fun to watch."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

It might seem cruel to take amusement from Sturgeon's reaction to being surrounded by a bunch of kids that in terms of chronological age made him the merest child by comparison, but neither Link, Orca, Makar, or Saria could resist sitting back and watching as the nine Kokiri that were Makar's age took it in turns to drag the man around their home beneath the branches of the Deku Tree. What made it funnier was that Kokiri as a rule, bar the two that were sages, had a mental age matching how old they appeared to be. Their eternal innocence preserved by the fact that their memories of all but the most important events beyond a couple of decades back would fade away as the years passed by. Things like the memory of Link saving the Great Sea and defeating Ganondorf once and for all would remain, but the memory of exactly how long ago that had happened would disappear. Time was of no concern to the Kokiri. They would never grow old, never change in all of their lives, timeless children who would watch over this forest for as long as there was a forest to watch over.

Taking hold of his violin, Makar began to idly play a random tune as he watched his fellow Kokiri.

"It's been a while since they messed around like this. The past few months after the land rose are the closest I've ever seen them to acting the way Saria and I do. It's good to see them back to normal."

Saria sighed, flipping her ocarina over in her hands.

"I think so too, though the way they were acting was nothing compared to the way the Kokiri were before the Sealing. The way they were just before the attack on the forest a thousand years ago that killed all of them. We could tell it was coming, could sense it, and all of a sudden everyone stopped acting like children. They all acted like the Hero of Time did when he returned to being a child. He was only ten years old physically, but in his mind he thought and saw things as an adult. One minute they were playing tag in the meadows of our village, and the next they'd headed into the Lost Woods and set up barricades, making bows to fire steel tipped arrows, and casting aside the slingshots they'd used to use to fire overripe berries at each other. But those preparations, the changes, they weren't enough to save them. Ganondorf's minions flowed over the forest like a relentless tide, sweeping the Kokiri away like they were nothing... And locked away in my temple as I was by then, there was nothing I could do to save them."

As she sat there, looking down at her hands, Orca patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't dwell on the past so much that you forget to live in the present. Those you knew back then may be gone, but they still live on in part in those that are here today... Now come on, time for _you_ to act like a child for a while." It was a very startled sage that in the next moment found herself hoisted up onto the old man's shoulders as he then took off at a run in his brother's direction shouting at the top of his voice. "Sage Express coming through!"

Startlement turned to mirth as she clung to his head with her hands, laughing as the other Kokiri took off after her and her impromptu steed, dragging Sturgeon along behind them. After glancing at each other with a grin, Link and Makar joined the fray as the race turned into a game of tag beneath the branches of a smiling Deku Tree.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

A faint snore rose over the sound of the waves, followed by disjointed mutterings that dissolved into yet more rattling noises. Link chuckled, as Orca nonchalantly draped a blanket over his sleeping brother.

"I think the Kokiri wore him out. They had him telling them 'bed time stories' until the early hours of this morning, and after that day long game of Tag too."

Strolling back over to the tiller bench, as the Red Lion cut its way on a path due north heading for Saiweve, Orca sat down on the bench beside Link.

"Well the longer he sleeps then the less time he'll be awake and wanting to have some more fun with a fishing rod, though I'll admit his snoring makes an interesting counterpoint to Navi's."

Said fairy was fast asleep in her basket hanging from the mast, the little whistling sounds she made as she slept sounding almost like a little tune against the percussive blasts coming from Sturgeon. Her hangover seemed to have finally worn off, a little sooner than expected, and now she was making up for all the sleep she'd lost due to her pounding self inflicted headache.

Listening to her, Link smiled.

"Ah well, it could be worse. Anyways, at the speed we're making now we'll be at Saiweve the evening after next. After we've visited Lyle and Mara I'll take to you Nae lanai and drop you off before heading to Dragon Roost. Nae Lanai is to be included in the parcel run every other time I go around the route, so I'll be stopping by there roughly once every two months. Just so you know when to expect me once you decide when you want to head back to Outset."

Thinking that over, Orca nodded.

"I should think two months will be enough of a visit anyway. Certainly that's more than long enough a little adventure for two old men."

Sighing with contentment, Orca leaned against the back of the bench and turned his gaze to the rolling waves of the sea.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Well if it isn't Orca and Sturgeon. I never expected to see you two out on the waves again. It's good to see you!"

Lyle slapped the two men round the back in welcome, getting the same in return as they all turned and followed him towards the house he shared with his niece, Mara. Saiweve had changed a lot since Link's last visit, with the slightly rushed feel of the village when it had not long been built having been replaced by a more settled feel as the people here went about their end of day business while the light faded into dusk. Life had certainly changed most drastically for the people of Saiweve than for any of the other Islanders. No longer living on barges drifting between a few islands, dropping off groups on those to farm land crops while the sea crops in their frames were towed behind the village. Living on land rather than constantly at sea had changed their lives forever. On previous visits Link had heard how it took days, even weeks, for the people of Saiweve to get used to being on a surface that didn't constantly move. Many were unable to sleep those first few days without the lulling rhythm of the waves to rock them into slumber.

Now many of the village houses had small gardens of flowers set around them, the women of the village having scoured the local area for flower seeds the previous autumn and then scattered them around their homes to make them look more cheerful the coming year. It was effective to be sure, with the pale blues and pinks of spring flowers dotted here and there with others that were bright yellow or pure white. Saiweve might have been here forever for how settled it was now, and not the few months that it actually had.

The quartet of men, young and old, reached the house whose name plaque by the door proclaimed itself as Willow Crest, and were promptly pinned by the glare of the woman standing in the doorway.

"Uncle... You said you would be back at noon to help weed the garden and it's now almost sunset!"

Lyle winced, while his three guests looked back and forth between him and his irate niece.

"One of the drying racks for the fish broke and I stopped to help, and I guess I just lost track of the time... Mara, I apologise, but can we leave off this subject for now. We've got guests."

The young woman turned her attention to Link, Orca, and Sturgeon, smiling sweetly.

"It's always nice to have visitors. If you'll come in, I have some soup on the stove." She stepped out of the doorway and gestured them inside, but when Lyle reached it she grabbed him by the ear. "You mister are going to do the weeding you promised, even if you have to do it by lamp light!" She dragged him to the corner of the house and then shoved him towards the garden with a firm kick of her boot to his rear. "And don't you dare come back in until you're done. If I go out there in the morning and find you didn't do it properly you can find somewhere else to eat tomorrow!"

She stepped back into the house, smiling once again as she indicated that Link and the two old men should make themselves comfortable in the chairs near the fireplace. As soon as they were sat she walked off into the adjacent kitchen and could be heard getting bowls and such out of a cupboard. Glancing among themselves, the three guests were on the verge of bursting into laughter as the shortest of the three spoke.

"Ah she has her grandmother's fire that's for sure. Aieja was born on Outset, and that connection was what led to Eidan teaming up with Lyle, her son, to crew the Time's Gale. Never stood for any nonsense that one, and it looks like Mara is the same... Poor Lyle, first his mother and now his niece."

Orca gave his brother a wry look.

"Isn't Aieja the one who..."

Orca only just managed to duck the swing of his brother's walking stick.

"Don't you dare bring that up!"

"Bring what up?"

Mara had just walked back in, carrying a tray of filled bowls that she set on a small table. Orca continued the story despite his brother's threat... Sturgeon wouldn't dare try hit him while Mara was watching... not while there was the risk she'd react the way Aieja used to back on Outset.

"Oh nothing. It's just that back when your grandmother lived on Outset my brother here had fallen fair head over heels for her... He courted her for three years but every time he tried to woo her it usually ended up with her throwing something at him... He gave up the day she tried to throw her father's plough..."

Sturgeon was bright red with embarrassment by this point, and looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him. He muttered darkly, quietly enough that Mara couldn't hear but his brother next to him could.

"...I'll get you for that..."

Orca's expression didn't change in the slightest as he murmured back.

"I don't doubt it... but whatever you do the look on your face right now in front of Mara is worth it." He continued on at a normal volume. "So what type of soup is that you have there, Mara."

He was handed a full bowl and a spoon as she replied.

"Vegetable, made to my grandmother's recipe." She frowned a little, glancing at Sturgeon. "It's strange though, since if she was so mad at you all the time, that she said it was you who helped her come up with her secret trick to making it."

Sturgeon began to sink down in his chair.

"That would be the thing about roasting the sweet root before adding it to the pot... She found that out the day she threw one at me when I brought her some flowers. It landed in the hearth and sat there while she spent ten minutes chasing me out the house and down the terrace. When she got back she realised it was the only one she had and it was only a little scorched on the outside so she put it in the pot anyway. She liked the result so much that she made it that way ever since."

Mara blinked at him for several seconds before a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she began to chuckle.

"She found out about roasting... because she _threw_ it at you?"

Unable to keep a straight face she turned away to hide it, fussing with handing out the other bowls of soup while keeping her back to him. It was at that moment that Lyle stuck his head through the kitchen door, having come in through the back entrance.

"Mara can I..."

She glared at him.

"There is _no_ way you could have done a proper job of the weeding in ten minutes... Out... _Now_."

He looked at her, eyes pleading.

"But..."

The next second Lyle vanished from view with his hands to his head... Mara having just hit him square in the face with a thrown spoon. Orca raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like she has her grandmother's aim as well..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Wow..."

The two brothers stood transfixed by the sight before them, both of them gazing with identical awe at the immense bridge that spanned the width of the East Passage where it opened up onto the Inner Sea. Link had deliberately dawdled along the Passage, to make sure that the Red Lion approached the bridge while it was too dark to see it. Now the sun had just risen, and the bridge was barely half a mile away, stretching to the smudge of land on the horizon to their right, while it contrasted brightly with the sheer cliffs it reached out from on their left. The sun at their backs made the white stone seem to shine like gold, like a band of fire leaping across the water.

Sitting behind them on the tiller bench, a smug expression on his face from succeeding in his subterfuge of getting close to the bridge without them seeing it, Link petted the equally smug fairy on his shoulder. After all using the dark had been her idea.

"So what do you think of Komali's handiwork?"

Neither man spoke, they were too speechless at the sight to take notice of the question. They remained like that as the bridge got closer, heads tilting upwards as it towered above them and they finally passed under one of the two hundred metre wide arches. Turning so that they could watch it fade into the distance behind them, it was only then that the shorter of the two spoke.

"So many new wonders to see in the world, and to think I spent so much time exploring only books."

For once Orca made no comment, despite the fact that his brother had effectively just admitted that he was right about too much time spent on books meant missing out on other new and wondrous things. All that mattered now was that they had seen it, had made this journey. Two former explorers out on the sea once more.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: I had so much fun coming up with all those little funny things, and the next chapter has a funny ending too that I'm looking forward to writing. I hoped you enjoyed it :)**


	57. Never Judge a Bookworm by its Cover

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well guys, I'm back after another long wait, I know. The reason is that I've begun writing my first piece of original fiction that I'm hoping to get published once it's done.**

**I've also been working on my new website, complete with the first chapter of my novel as a preview. I'd really appreciate it if any of you would take the time to read it and leave a message telling me what you think of it in the guestbook. The site also has info on the main characters in the book, along with artwork of each, and also several other pictures including a map of the lands its set in and a nice sinister picture of one of the 'Horde'. To get to my website click the 'homepage' link at the top of my profile. Happy reading :D**

**I can also say that despite my lack of updates I've actually plotted this story out right to the end... I've only got another 41 chapters to write after this one XD On another plus note though, I've come up with a plot for a sequel to this fic, and it doesn't have Ganon or Vaati or any other previous Zelda enemy in it! (My main complaint with Twllight Princess. I got to the bit with the Sages and as it got to where the name was coming I just though "They've done it again... Why the f--- do they keep using Ganondorf/Ganon?!" Apart from that the game was great.) Anyways, I've even made an intro movie for the sequel in the same style as the one in Windwaker... A pity I can't post it yet since it gives away one of my upcoming major plot points for this fic in its first few seconds... Ah well, all the more incentive for me to get more of this fic written.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 57: Never Judge a Bookworm by its Cover

"Well guys, welcome to Nae Lanai."

Link grinned at the two old men on the ship's deck, from where he stood on the pier having just tied the mooring lines. Beyond him the town spread out along the shore to either side of the docks, as bustling as any of the ports among the islands.

The two of them grinned back, as the taller of the two jumped to the pier followed closely by his brother.

"Glad to be here, Link. So how long are you going to hang around here before heading off?"

Link sighed, taking note of a familiar man heading towards the Red Lion from the dockside as he did so.

"I'll be leaving on the evening tide. I lost a lot of time fighting that wind to get around the Forest Peninsula, so I can't hang around for a day to show you around like I'd planned. Here comes Gerril, he's a mainland friend of mind. Luckily I asked him in a letter to be here when we arrived, so I don't think he'll mind helping you two get settled." He lifted an arm, waving to the wirey haired man as he started up the pier. "Hoy, Gerril. These are Orca and Sturgeon, the two friends I told you about in that letter. I'm pressed for time though, with the delay from the weather. I've got about an hour before I have to leave on the tide. Could you show them to the house they'll be staying in? I'd do it myself but like I said..."

"You don't have time." Gerril reached them, shaking hands with the two old men before giving Link a wry look. "You don't need to explain it to me. I've talked to enough of the sailors passing through this port now to know that the sea waits for no one. It was good seeing you again, Link. Safe trip." Link smiled in thanks, before leaping back aboard the Red Lion to check everything over before he set sail again, leaving Gerril to pick up the two bags tossed to the pier and led the two visitors into the town. "Link called up a few favours and got Mayor Darthan to ask one of the families that moved here from the Castle Town to give you a room to share while you're staying here. Food's still being rationed out per person, so no need worry about them being shorted by you staying with them, extra will be allocated to account for you. All that stands to be decided is what you'll be doing for the next couple of months."

The two brothers looked at each other as they followed Gerril off the pier, the shorter of the two answering.

"We talked about it on the way here. I'm going to help out with teaching at the town's school, and Orca is going to give lessons on the creatures of the Great Sea and how to defend against them to any sailors, or those learning to be, that are interested... It's a good offer too, you should see the size of some of the Gyorg jaws he has on his wall back home."

If it hadn't been for the fact he'd seen Sturgeon's attitude towards such things change during the trip, Orca would have laughed at the note of pride in his brother's voice. He honestly doubted the people of Outset would believe their eyes when time came to go back and they saw him actually boasting about his brother. He just chuckled a little instead.

"Though I'll admit that I caught the biggest not long after I retired from sailing. The ones I've caught since then are nowhere near as large."

Gerril regarded him, curious.

"So how big are they?"

Orca chuckled again.

The smallest I've caught was four metres long, with a jaw two thirds of a metre wide, the largest had a two metre wide jaw and was twelve metres long."

The scout gawked.

"I've seen one that a sailor said was two metres long and it looked _huge_... You caught and killed one that was _six times that size?_"

The old man patted the shocked scout on the shoulder.

"Come visit Outset sometime and I'll show you the jaws so you can measure them yourself. A Gyorg's length is always six times the width of its jaws so you can easily do the math when you see it."

"..."

Gerril shook his head in wonderment, before taking the two of them down the first of the streets of Nae Lanai.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

It was excited semicircle of eager school children that greeted Sturgeon the following day, the school teacher of this particular class, having been told the previous evening to expect him, introducing him when he entered the neat room with its be-rugged floor and gaggle of four to six year olds.

"Children, this is Sturgeon, he's from Outset Island. He's currently visiting Nae Lanai for a few months as has kindly offered to help teach all the children in the school about the history of the Great Sea between the time of the Sealing and present day. Some of you will know some of it already, and if you do then you can help your classmates when it's time for you each to write a few lines about a part of that history that interested you." She glanced at him. "Would you like to take over now?"

Hefting the book he held, he nodded and perched himself on the stool she offered him.

"Ahem! ...As you will know after recent events, the history of the Great Sea spans roughly one thousand years. Now due to the turmoil that followed the Sealing, there are few records of what occurred during the first two hundred years of that, and as yet copies of those documents are not yet available for public use. So I've decided that I will start at the first major event that occurred after the Sealing, and that is the emergence of the Rito Tribe and the founding of their Postal Service." He flipped open the book, turning it so they could see the picture he'd turned to. "Now this is Dragon Roost Island, and the creature on top of it is Lord Valoo, the Guardian Spirit of the sky..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"So how was your day at the school"

Orca glanced at his brother, as the two of them headed back to the house where they were staying. It had been an interesting day for him down at the docks, but he was still curious about how things had gone at the school.

Sturgeon smiled.

"Those mainlander kids loved hearing stories about the Great Sea and the history of the sailors upon it, pirates included. I can't wait to go back again tomorrow."

Orca chuckled.

"The pirates part doesn't surprise me. I'm glad you had such a good day. Things were good down at the docks as well... although one man nearly did put his own eye out with his harpoon."

The smaller man winced, the pair of them entering one of the small quadrangles that acted as hubs where several smaller streets met.

"Ouch, he won't be making that mistake again." He paused a moment, spotting a group of youths wielding sticks who seemed to be being taught swordplay by the man in front of them. "What's that man doing? You never hold a sword in that position, it's too weak to switch into a strong guard to block a strike."

His voice bounced off the surrounding buildings, unnaturally loud against the cobbled floor of the square. Having heard every word, the man teaching the youths scowled and stomped over to them while the youths watched.

"You should mind your own business _old man!_ I know what I'm doing, unlike some old geezer like you! Either shut your mouth or prove it!"

Orca clenched a fist, taking a half step towards the man before being stopped by a touch from his brother's walking stick.

Sturgeon eyed the man with amusement.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this arrogant whipper snapper... You there! _Boy!_ Show me what you've got!"

Orca backed out of the way, smothering a grin... He'd seen _that_ look on his brother's face before, long ago.

The man's scowl deepened, his grip upon the wooden practice blade he held tightening.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

He lunged at Sturgeon, who just sidestepped him and cracked him across the back with his walking stick. The man turned, the snarl of anger on his face turning to shock as the little old man neatly divested him of his practice blade and proceeded to beat the crap out of him with it. No sooner than the man was groaning face down on the floor with a few dozen bruises than Sturgeon dropped the practice blade and picked up the walking stick he'd discarded, the nearby youths staring at him in awe.

"I may be old, but with age comes experience, and a true swordsman _never_ forgets his craft... You're lucky I went easy on you, boy, or you'd have more than just bruises."

Orca eyed the youths, as his brother came over and the two of them continued on their way.

"Somehow I suspect the children will be asking about other things than pirates when you go back to the school tomorrow..."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Yes I know it's short, but it was just a small amusing topic anyway. Things pick up a bit more after this, so I should have less trouble writing the chapters that I had with this one. Quiet chapters can be such a pain :S**


	58. A Much Needed Decision

**Alaia Skyhawk: And I'm finally back into some more hefty events... these are so much easier to write XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 58: A Much Needed Decision

The rustle of paper, the scratch of ink pens, and the occasional sigh were the only sounds in the room bar the sounds of distant chatter coming in through the open stone-framed window. The furniture in this room had been rearranged somewhat from how it had been some months before, with two desks now occupying this office that had previously only comfortably held one. It was now cramped to say the least, and it didn't help that both desks were piled with reports and various other items of paperwork. The pair of them had been stuck in the office since early that morning, and with the time now well past mid afternoon they'd still only managed to clear about half of what had come in.

Tetra signed the reply she'd just written, dropping it into her mounded 'out' tray... the 'in' tray looked even worse.

"I wish Aryll were here... Things are so much easier when I can reply to Eidan directly. I know she wanted to be back on Outset for her birthday, but she's barely been gone a week and already I'm neck deep in redirected reports from the Islands."

Mayor Darthan looked up from one of his own replies.

"You know, you _could _return to Windfall. I'm sure I could manage the Mainland side of things while you clear up matters for the Islands."

There was a thud, the young queen's face now planted firmly on the wooden surface of her desk.

"And then I'll end up with a backlog of Mainland matters to deal with... I just can't win. The only way I could sort this farcical paperwork system out would be to pick a permanent place to work from and have all reports routed there direct instead of to the hub for each area that everyone's used to using. Right now both you and Eidan get the reports and then pass to me all the ones that you either know have to be dealt with by me, or think might have to be. As a result I'm getting snowed under with things which I can understand why were passed to me, but I would trust either of you to attend to without my supervision. And I can't ask all the Islands items to be routed here, or vice versa, without it looking like I'm favouring one 'side' over the other."

Darthan winced, understanding perfectly her dilemma.

"I think that, regardless to possible accusations of favouritism, you _need_ to choose between Windfall and Hyrule Castle Town. You're going to make yourself ill with stress if you keep working like this."

She kept her head on the desk, though she turned it so that she could see him between the piles of paperwork.

"As understanding as the people are, and despite how the Islanders' helping with the food shortage has boosted trust, that fragile forming bond would be strained to the limits or broken if I did that." She sat up, her expression suddenly thoughtful. "Hmmm, I know it will mean a whole load of extra paperwork in the short term, not to mention being a possible logistics nightmare, but maybe it would be best..."

The mayor looked a little confused.

"Pardon?"

Giving him a wry glance, she opened one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a map.

"Remember how you told me that the old Hyrule Castle was outside the Castle Town, a couple of miles along the road? I think what I need is a new castle, somewhere completely away from Windfall and here, and yet easily accessible to both Mainland and Islands. I could name the two areas as districts under yours and Eidan's supervision, and have all reports routed to me before I redirect those that you two can deal with, leaving me with the more important matters that affect everyone." She looked at the map for a moment as she puzzled over where would be best before putting a finger down a little to the right of the centre. "Here, on the west coast of the Inner Sea halfway between the North and South Passages. That's where it'll be, Hyrule City."

The man at the other desk began to splutter in shock.

"C-city? I thought you just needed a castle?"

Tetra glanced at him.

"I do need a castle, but to build a castle in the middle of nowhere with no nearby settlement would be a disaster. If I'm going to do this then I need to do it properly. Hyrule Castle Town was the capital of the Old Hyrule, Windfall of the Hyrule I re-founded on the Great Sea. I can't pick either over the other without causing resentment, so I'll just have to build an entirely new capital... Besides if I ask Komali to help then getting the basic founding buildings of the place done will take only a day or two, and the roads to the city a couple more. After that it's simply a matter of finding people to move into the new city and get it started... which should be a lot less difficult than it was for Nae Lanai. Capital cities are easier to lure people to than small port towns."

He stared at her.

"Nothing I say or think will change your mind, will it?"

She smiled.

"Nope."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"I've got to hand it to Tetra; she sure is a glutton for punishment."

Komali shook his head, standing a moderate distance from the shore of the Inner Sea, in the exact area the young queen had picked just two week prior. When he'd gotten the letter asking for his assistance two days after that he'd been stunned by her idea, but after thinking it over he agreed with her reasons... and so here he was holding a map of the soon to be created city and castle, with everything right down the drains for sewage, rainwater, and also the wells and underground water canals supplying them all included. She'd even gone so far with the architects who'd drawn it as to work out the total mass to be created, matching the size of the initial city boundary to the equivalent mass of thirty miles of stone road and drainage ditches... the amount he could do before having to rest for a day.

Shaking his head, he fixed his gaze upon the map as he lifted his right hand up to the sky, the Triforce symbol upon it blazing as he invoked its power. In quick succession three blasts of golden power shot out across the land in a vast circle that reached all the way to the shore and a short distance into the water. When it faded it was one very tired Rito prince who slumped exhausted to his knees in the centre of a brand new city of stone, the spires of a castle rising by the edge of the waves from its vantage point overlooking the myriad piers of a large port which would soon play host to the fleet cargo and passenger carrying ships waiting less than three miles out upon the sea.

Closing his eyes, he allowed his weary body to fall onto its side and fell fast asleep.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The town was a bustle of gossip, every person bringing a parcel to the post box for collection eager to talk to him about it. An entire city created in just a matter of minutes by the might of the Triforce of Power, and the queen moving into residence at the castle there the very same day. Available ships of all sizes had been called up from all over the Great Sea, as had volunteers to resettle in the new city. As a result Windfall was a little thinner in terms of shops, businesses, and people, as were the floating settlements of Ocean Crest, Sea Spire, and Anglau. A number of the mainland towns had also been thinned out in the same way, with people of all professions heading off to start anew in the new capital of Hyrule, Hyrule City. Even Zunari had gone, after consulting with Link of course. His shop had grown so much over the years that the reduced population of Windfall would no longer support it at its current size, and a generalised store such as it had become would do well in the new city. Mila's father had gone too, wanting to be closer to his daughter since she would be continuing to work for Tetra. Mila had since gifted the house he'd stayed in on Windfall to the crown in return for a owning a house in the city, his living cost now covered by the job Link had talked him into taking, as an assistant at Zunari's shop since the northerner's previous assistant had wanted to stay on the island. All in all it worked out best for both, and Mila would know her father would have a steady job for as long as he needed it.

Accepting another parcel and putting it on the waiting trolley, Link thought back to his visit to the city a few days ago. To say the city was impressive was an understatement. It made Hyrule Castle Town look _small_. It was only once he'd realised that the streets were laid out in concentric rings with long straight streets connecting them that he stopped getting himself hopelessly lost when trying to find the street where Zunari's new shop was, though at least the castle was easy to find where it stood on a rise just above its own private dock, the Sea Spirit already moored there. Mila had been extremely happy to see him, the young woman insisting on showing him around. Komali had done an incredible job, with every building looking as though it had been built by hand and not by magic, and he would likely have enjoyed showing Link around himself if not for his having had to go create the roads to the city and the relevant bridges over the Passages. It was a beautiful place, made even more so by some artistically placed trees, shrubs, and climbing vines courtesy of the Sage of the Forest Temple. The springs that supplied the city's water were created by the relevant Zoran sage, and even the Sage of Light had gotten involved by creating crystals that lit up when night fell, to top every lantern post among the streets. One spring had been created separate and then 'heated' by the Sage of Fire to supply a city bathhouse, and even the Sages of Spirit and Shadow had chipped in, even if it was only to help with the mass of unpacking that needed to be done to get all the new residents settled. It had been manic in a happy way, and he was really looking forward to his next visit.

He looked around, no further people approaching him.

"Ah well, another day's work done. Time to set off for Sea Spire, I guess."

Packing away his writing tools and note book, Link then pushed the mounded trolley of parcels towards the dock ready for yet more days spent sailing the unwritten roads of the Great Sea.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"So you're back. A bit later than I was expecting, but I'm guessing you took it easy after creating the city and did the roads in smaller sections."

Komali landed beside the two sages waiting for him at the Royal Dock, the Sheikah and Gerudo both giving him a small smile of greeting. Tugging the bottom of his tunic a little to tidy it after his flight, he chuckled.

"Hardly. I was just finishing the road heading to where I was going to put the second bridge over the South Passage when she sent me another set of maps and charts using the Triforce of Wisdom. We've got another two new ports, one near the outer end of each of the North and South Passages. The names aren't fancy, just North Port and South Port, but she really wanted them for some reason so I obliged."

The two sages glanced at one another, the red head of the two speaking.

"So that's where those four packed ships were going. I wondered why they left so soon after arriving, our dear queen it seems found somewhere else for their passengers and cargo to go. I just hope she sent seeds with them or those people are going to have food troubles later in the year."

Komali cleared his throat.

"Um, this is Tetra we're talking about here. She bought up all the available spare seeds from the islands back when she decided she needed this city, using money she had spare in the treasury. All she had to do was assign some from stores and off they went. It's not like she asked for those other two ports on a whim. She told me in the letter she sent with the charts that she wants to get a trade network going between Islanders and Mainlanders, since the Mainland practically cuts the Island area into two, north and south."

Impa blinked a little in surprise, before shaking her head in wonderment.

"I should have guessed... She wants to create an open market between the two sides, increasing the amount of interaction between Islands and Mainland. Those ports, and this city in between, will encourage merchants to the north and south to trade their cargo at them rather than sailing around the Mainland or through the Passages themselves, and also encourage the people on the Mainland to trade to the Islands. The result will be an initial rise on the prices of certain items in the short term, but the long term the effects on the kingdom's stability will be immense... She's very shrewd, that queen, with a sharp eye for commerce. I'll admit I'm surprised."

Nabouru nodded.

"Me too, I guess I underestimated just how much thought she was putting into all this rushing about building castles and cities."

Komali began to laugh, drawing slightly indignant stares from the two sages.

"And again this is Tetra we're talking about... She used to be a pirate, remember? When you deal in stolen goods you tend to learn a few tricks when it comes to trade."

The two sages gawked a little, before slowly turning to look up at the castle as again the red head of the two of them spoke.

"What have we got ourselves into with her? ...She makes the Gerudo Thieves look like amateurs by comparison in sheer subtle manipulation."

As Komali walked past them, still chuckling, Impa replied.

"Put it this way, she makes the Princess Zelda we knew back when we awakened look prim, proper, and appropriately dim-witted in the 'noble girl' sense, and she spent seven years in that aborted future posing as a Sheikah man so convincingly that no one in the slightest suspected it was her... Even _I_ was fooled."

The Sage of Spirit turned to her fellow sage, her expression bemused.

"I'm going to go warn the others not to assume they've got her figured out, or I'm sure she's going to keep surprising us all."

And with that she vanished, an orb of orange light shooting off in the direction of a distant mountain, while the Sage of Shadow nodded once in agreement before heading off to catch up to the amused prince.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, that was SO easy to write! So easy in fact that I'm gonna start the next one right away :D**


	59. Many Changes, Short Time

**Alaia Skyhawk: This one's a tad shorter than the last, but then I kinda said most of this topic in the last one XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 59: Many Changes, Short Time, and One Big Headache Sorted

The rustle of paper, the scratch of an ink pen, and the occasional sigh were the only sounds in the room bar the sound the waves and wind coming in through the open stone-framed window. The furniture in the room consisted of a number of book filled shelves, an odd assortment of chairs, and a hastily relocated and rather familiar desk... heaped with just as much paperwork as when it had been in its previous home more than fifty miles away. The room was far more spacious than the last, but that's kind of hard to see when you're sitting behind a wall of paper.

Tetra flipped through the various letters and reports, glancing at their contents before putting them in one of three trays marked 'D', 'E', and 'M', for 'Darthan', 'Eidan', and 'Me'. It was far less tedious than you might think, but then the pile in her in tray was going down rather quickly, with only about a quarter of the various pieces of paper making their way into the 'M' tray. Most of what was coming in were all minor matters that could be quickly and easily dealt with by the two men, and the remainder were mostly to do with the three new settlements she'd had whipped up into existence, and which hadn't even been settled for a month yet. Reports regarding the planting of summer growing crops, and of the successful setting up of sea farming frames in sheltered coves near the settlements. Reports regarding the number of ships that had already used the new ports and of how much cargo had been offloaded and sold to the merchant owned wagon convoys waiting at them, whose drivers had spent much of the last year practically screaming for goods to trade.

The last piece of paper lifted from the in tray, Tetra took the piles from each of the 'D' and 'E' trays and rolled them up, neatly binding them and pushing them into message tubes which she then sealed with a blob of wax stamped with her seal ring, both of which she'd had made for the purpose. A rung bell and a message runner later, she just hoped she'd got the sorting done before the postal collection at the box just outside the castle hadn't already been collected. If it hadn't then the two men wouldn't get the tubes for three days instead of two.

Sighing, she began to deal with the first of the reports in the 'M' tray.

"Now if only I'd gotten a reply from the Rito..."

There was a knock on the door, the wooden panel swinging open a little before Mila poked her head around it.

"You've got some visitors."

She opened it wide revealing no less than five Rito standing in the outer office, one of which had been the recipient of a letter she'd sent some days ago. Jumping to her feet, she hurried to the door and gestured that they all come in.

_Speak of the devil and he shall appear..._

"Chief Raltho, all of you do come in and take a seat." She settled herself back behind her desk, while her five guests each pulled up one of her odd collection of chairs. "I was hoping for a reply but I'll admit I didn't expect you to come in person. Surely you're busy enough yourself with all the extra postal routes your tribe now runs."

Komali's father smiled, a hand gesture taking in the pile of paperwork she had yet to deal with.

"And I guessed that your work load at present would be far greater than mine, with long delays in the dispatch to you two assistants at Windfall and Hyrule Castle town adding further to the administrational headache you must be suffering. With that in mind I would like to introduce you to four of the members of your new Royal Message Service, the fifth and sixth of this group I sent off with the deliveries your errand runner had when we met him on the way to this office. My tribe with cover both their wages and their room and board, and they will always be on hand to deliver reports and important messages as needed. A further twelve have also been assigned to the service, six sent to each of your two assistants, and my tribe will see to it that the jobs as Royal messengers are rotated among members of the tribe to ensure they all get regular time off to spend with their families. All you need do is organise rooms for them to use and a suitable launch platform convenient to those, as will Eidan and Mayor Darthan. As I said, the Rito Tribe will cover all other costs, simply send me a report at whatever interval is most convenient, detailing the costs incurred for room and board and my tribe will reimburse you."

Tetra actually stared for several seconds. She'd only asked that a few flyers be assigned to her direct service so that she could communicate more efficiently with Eidan and Darthan. Never had she dreamed that the Rito Tribe would cover all the costs.

"Chieftain Raltho, your offer is most generou..."

"No need be formal, this is the act of friends helping friends. Not to mention my tribe promised to aid the kingdom when needed, when I along with all the other island and town leaders signed the treaty."

He smiled at her again; the four Rito sat behind him all hiding grins at her surprise. After staring a few seconds more she smiled back with gratitude and got to her feet.

"Well then, in thanks I'll leave this paperwork for now and personally show you to some rooms that I think may be perfect for the new messengers. There's even a large balcony just at the end of that hallway which will provide ample space for taking off and landing. As _my_ gesture of thanks I'll provide free living space and board for families should one of the messengers like to have their partner and/or children close by. It's the least I can do for having Rito stay here away from Dragon Roost."

The glances that passed between two of the new messengers was answer enough that her offer would be taken up on. The Rito were really close knit when it came to families, probably due to the fact that those who worked for the postal service spent so much time out on the wing, only seeing family every few days. She would guess she' have some rather happy little Rito running around the castle in a few days, not that she would mind. Children always brought smiles when they were happy, and the castle was rather empty at the moment. Paintings, wall hangings, and other decorations would have to wait a few years. Until then the building would echo due to bare walls rather dreadfully, but at least the echoing laughter of children would be far better than disembodied whispers. It was so bad in certain hallways that her handful of servants had put signs up in them forbidding talking so that the echoes didn't freak someone out halfway across the building.

As she led them out the door she saw Mika give her a brief thumbs up before resuming her work as chief of the housekeeping staff, a job she'd taken on in addition to her work as Tetra's personal maid. She would have to thank the girl later for taking that burden off her back, but for now she had rooms for six Rito to pick, and possibly others if her offer was indeed taken up on.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The three sisters regarded the image before them, the image of a land that was being changed by those that lived there, almost as fast as it had been changed by own divine hands. Looking deep into the heart of that image, the blue-eyed sister spoke.

"They're certainly not wasting time, are they? An impressive show of leadership quality by Tetra, and a clear show of her understanding of the people. And also a rather fitting use for the Triforce of Power. It's been used for destruction so many times by Ganondorf that it's nice to see the opposite."

The green-eyed sister spoke now, her gaze upon a white tower.

"And the Sages have found the new Door, and the new location of the Light Consecration Stone. All they need now is to find the Master Sword, and then once they learn the land is unstable they can access their power to stop it from eroding away."

The red-eyed sister spoke now, her expression concerned.

"But as yet they are still unaware of the coming danger to that which they are building... How long do you think it will be before the signs of the land becoming unstable will start?"

The first sister spoke again, a wave of her hand causing the image to change to one of a young Rito woman sat on a high peak playing her harp.

"I cannot say, for the Sage of Earth did an impressive job of stabilising everything when the land rose. It is not something I would say will happen sooner than a year from now, but certainly as good as her work is, it will not take more than three, maybe four, for the Balance to begin to undermine it. Even then, they will have a few months to stop it, to save the new land."

The three sisters fell silent, while a short distance away their mother still stood there, watching...

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hmm, shall I do another? Third in a single day? (Grins) Why not? Hee hee :)**


	60. To Find the Courage to

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehehehehehe, poor Link. Well I started this the same day as the others but got side tracked. My dad got Metal Gear Solid 4 and I ended up watching him play that all weekend. I swear the cutscenes are like watching a movie... and watching my dad on the verge of throwing his controller across the room after Raging Raven knocked him off the tower battlefield roof for the 4th time was like a mini drama, making him have to start the fight again. Poor guy, it only took him about 3 1/2 hours to kill her XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 60: To Find the Courage to...

The streets were bustling, people from all regions of Hyrule, from all walks of life and profession, moving about their business or chatting to one another. It was a cheerful scene, but also an incredible one considering that two months ago this city hadn't even existed. There were still empty shops of course, and empty houses, the size of the city being far too large to fill it completely without stripping other towns elsewhere to the point where they would collapse from lack of people. It didn't matter though, since the empty buildings were owned by the crown and could be bought in years to come by people who had grown up and were starting up families and businesses of their own, and bought for an extremely low price given the quality of them. Komali's flare for the little details of building making the homes spacious and yet cosy, ideal for anyone wanting to buy a place of their own. Such had been the case with Mila's father, though in truth she was the one who technically bought the house for him. Working in his new job as an assistant at Zunari's shop, he'd ceased playing up that he had a bad back after realising he liked to work. It gave him the chance to chat to people, and not only that he was taking pride in the fact that since he'd started the job he hadn't had to ask his daughter for any money to keep him going, in fact he'd had enough spare that he'd bought her a miniature carved wooden horse from a carpenter, something that he'd heard from his sister who was once again back helping out Tetra. As for himself, Link was wandering around wondering what the heck he was going to do with himself now.

He stood in the shadows of an alleyway, watching the people pass by from this place where he wouldn't be spotted and immediately subjected to a round of congratulations. The reason was this... He'd heard from his sister about Tetra using the new ports, and resulting trade, to bring the people of the Islands and Mainland together. Deciding it would help that aim, he'd suggested to the Postal Service that parcels could be more efficiently routed through those ports and carried by merchant convoys and ships on a commission per package basis... effectively and completely undermining his own job running a postal service ship. The tribe had offered him a replacement postal job as a flier, but it didn't appeal to him, his being too much of a sailor to spend _that_ much time flying. Having handed over the last of his parcels to a merchant convoy here in the city, he'd hung around for a week helping Zunari out when he'd been called up to the castle for one of Tetra's now regular sudden announcements. As per Darthan's suggestion she'd decided on and named a 'Queen's Champion', someone who she could call on to fight in her stead and who would come to her aid in times of need, and she'd picked him. He'd accepted, without too much thought since it was something he'd been basically doing anyway. So now here he was, paid eight thousand rupees a year for being Queen's Champion, having just gotten _eighteen_ thousand from Zunari as his share of the year's profits, and now not having a clue what to do with it all. Aryll and Valandra didn't need any, since his father was using his wage for being Tetra's Royal Advisor, and also Steward of the Islands, to support them. Now he, Link, had this crazy amount of money just sitting in his pocket in golden three hundred rupee pieces, and he was hiding in an alley to avoid the mass of back patting he'd put up with since his appointment three days ago.

Sighing, he slipped deeper into the alley and took the back street route to Zunari's shop, darting across the main streets only when he had to, and only when no one was looking in his direction. When he finally reached the back door of the shop it was with great relief that he pulled out his key and slipped inside, slumping down on the rather beaten couch in what the northerner had designated the 'Staff room'. It was small, cosy, and most importantly for Link, devoid of well wishers.

"It's no good, I'm going to have to get out of this city for a while, even if it's just to sail about."

"That bad, huh?" He looked up to see Mila's father standing in the door that led into the shop, the man closing it before coming over and sitting down beside him. "It'll die down after a while, just give it a little time and people will get their excitement at having a Queen's Champion out of their system. It's just the novelty of it at the moment, after all that's happened."

Shaking his head a little, Link seemed to sink deeper into the depths of the much-patched cushions.

"It's not really that bad, given the awe and hero worship I put up with during the months I spent in Hyrule Castle Town, and that died down pretty quickly. It's just that I have no clue what to spend my time doing, now that I don't have a postal job anymore. I'd work shipping cargos, but the Red Lion can't really carry enough to compete with the larger established ships, and although the Rito offered me a job as a postal flier my heart's too tied to sailing to spend so much time on the wing. I feel like I'm at a complete loose end, and so people congratulating me all the time just reminds me of that. It's not like I _need_ to work, I have too much money at the moment to have to worry about that. I just hate having nothing to do, and after all the 'Merchant's Oaths' I got for him during the winter he's got more than enough new products to keep the shop trading high for a couple of years at least... He actually asked me to _stop_ getting them, as he was running out of display space."

Mila's father began to mull this over.

"You could always help out in the shop like you did after dropping off the last of those parcels."

Again Link seemed to sink deeper, closing his eyes in resignation.

"Unfortunately I can't unless Zunari is desperate for help... 'Shelf stacker' doesn't fit the image profile for 'Queen's Champion'. I can't do anything that goes against the image of what that position represents; it's the price for having such a cushy 'job'. Zunari really needing the help is the only time I can get away with it, and then only because I'm part owner of the shop... Do yourself a favour, Gram, and never get yourself involved in a political job. Life becomes so complicated."

Mila's father, Gram, regarded him for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"...Mila doesn't seem to mind it, not a least while it lets her see you about the place... Why when she came and told me you'd been picked as Queen's Champion she was ecstatic. Ah if only the young man who has stolen her heart could bring that dazzling smile to her face once again..."

Link's eyes flew open, as he stared at the man beside him.

"Are you implying that..?"

"She's not about to say no if that's why you've held off so long... and _I_ certainly don't object to the idea..."

Link pushed himself out of the depths of the couch and stood up, turning to head out the back door.

"Thanks, Gram, I think I know what I can use some of that money for now."

As he stepped out the door one last parting phrase came from the man on the couch.

"And I'll expect that you be calling me by a different name not too long from now..."

Link didn't answer, just smiled and vanished into the shadows of the back streets of Hyrule City.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The young man who entered the Housing Office was calm and composed, as if the visit were not really that important and he didn't have other things on his mind. The murmured words of congratulations from those he passed were received with a nod and a small smile as he joined the end of the short queue, and with a shake of his head he declined the offers of those ahead of him to let him go first... Truth was he wanted a moment to _inwardly_ compose himself lest the words to come left his mouth as a croak. These things are easy in the moment you decide you're going to do them... and knee-shakingly nerve wracking when it comes time to actually do them.

_Don't freak out don't freak out don't freak out..._

In this moment he would gladly have faced Ganondorf all over again...

"Next!" Link found himself being waved forward, the enquiries of the few people in front having been dealt with rather quickly by the clerk. As he sat down in the chair before the desk, the man regarded him blandly, clearly not letting the identity of the individual before him affect how he did his job. "How may I help you, sir?"

The moment of hesitation was too tiny to notice as the young hero replied in a voice that held as little fear as he would have felt if facing down a sword wielding goldfish, if only his stomach was as composed.

"I'd like to purchase a house, preferably somewhere fairly close to the castle and yet still with easy access to the docks."

The request was met with bland acceptance, the request perfectly logical given who had asked. Pulling one of the nearby ledgers to sit on the desk in front of him, the clerk flipped through the pages until he stopped at the listing for a particular street.

"There are several houses still available on Lesser Gate Street, which as the name suggests ends at one of the lesser gates into the castle grounds. It's two rings in from the shore, with Pier Road just an eighth of a circle along from it. There are houses empty both by the castle gate and by the junction with Pier Road, and also several along the length in between. Does this street suit your needs? The houses are all exactly the same in terms of layout and rooms."

The brisk and simple statement and enquiry eased Link's tension a little before he made his reply.

"I'll have whichever one is closest to halfway between the gate and Pier Road. While I'll no doubt end up going to the castle more often than the docks, the extra exercise will do me good."

This got a small smile from the clerk, and convinced Link that the man had no idea the tiny circles part of the hero's mind was running around in right now.

"That will cost twelve thousand rupees. Will you be paying in instalments?" He got his answer in the small pile of forty golden rupee pieces placed before him in the next few moments. "Very well, I'll just get the deeds for you to sign, and the keys for the doors."

Three minutes later Link walked out of the Housing Office, twelve thousand rupees lighter and holding a ring of keys with a tag bearing the house number and street name. Stopping still for a moment, his mind went blank.

_Which way was Lesser Gate Street again?_

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_One fifty-two, one fifty-two, one fifty-two..._

Link walked along the slightly curved street, the spires of the castle visible over the wall that stood at the end in the distance. It was a quiet street for all its long length, with each house having a tiny fenced off yard in front where the owners could put potted plants or let their pets or small children run about in safety without getting in the way of passers by. The inhabited houses along it already showed signs of this, with the few remaining empty homes obvious due to the lack of anything set in those spaces. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Link found the one he was looking for. One hundred and fifty-two Lesser Gate Street, the house he'd bought roughly half an hour previous.

Opening the gate and walking up to the front door, Link began to flip through the ring of keys and their spares looking for the one for the door.

"Welcome, neighbour."

He looked up from what he was doing to see a woman in the neighbouring yard smiling at him.

"Hi, thanks for the welcome. It took me long enough to find the house after I bought it. It looks nice though, but then all the houses do."

She nodded, still smiling.

"Yes that can be a problem with all the houses looking the same, but same or not they _are_ very nice... It's just a pity that the crown wasn't able to fit them out with furniture. We had to bring all ours from our old home."

Link nearly let go of the keys, though he didn't stop smiling as quick thinking let him reply.

"I know. I just thought I'd see what the rooms were like before I went down to the market district and picked what to buy."

The woman looked surprised.

"What a good idea. More of the people who moved in here should have done the same, you'd be surprised how many didn't realise they needed to get furniture."

Link only just managed not to cringe.

_...Just like me... This is not my day..._

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_Right, what else do I need?_

Link was on the point of pulling his hair out, having spent the last two days going back and forth to furniture shops, shops selling kitchen utensils, shops selling curtains, rugs, and other soft furnishings, and even one selling clothes after he ripped the seams out of four of his shirts while moving his purchases around the house once they'd been delivered. He'd also ended up having to ask one of the Royal Messengers for some help in straightening out one of his wings, after a careless movement had riled half of the feathers on that arm up the wrong way and made them stick there, which had been far from comfortable. The efforts had been worth it though, with the house now fully furnished and ready to live in, though it had left him another four thousand rupees or so lighter. He had eight thousand left, plus the couple of thousand he had stored away on Outset, together being more than enough to run a home for a year. There was just one thing bothering him, and that was the thought that he'd forgotten something.

Pacing around his living room, he accidentally jolted the table where he'd set the ring with the six keys on it, three of each for front and back doors. Picking them up by the loop of metal that kept them together, the thought of what he'd forgotten hit him.

_Link, you idiot! And you've already sent that message asking her to come here!_

The next second the room was empty, Link having sprinted off at breakneck speeds towards the streets where most of the shops were.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_Did I get back in time? What if she's already been and gone? Oh I am such an idiot, how could I ever think that..._

"I got your message, Link. What is it you wanted to show me..? Umm, are you alright?"

Link near jumped out of his skin, turning as white as a sheet as he looked up at the blond haired woman standing at the gate. It was Mila, holding the message he'd sent to her via a message runner.

_Facing a Phantom in the Temple of the Ocean King, with just a few seconds of sand left in the hourglass, no safe zones, and no Phantom Sword, couldn't be scarier than this..._

He swallowed hard, before getting up off the steps where he'd been sitting and gesturing her to come into the yard. She did so, as he then stepped aside from the doorway and pushed it open, pressing something into her hand as he sent her up the steps.

"I'm fine, it's just...this is something I want you to have..."

She stepped though the door she stopped in her tracks at the sight of the well furnished living area, a fully kitted out kitchen visible through a door at the back of the room. Taking a few more steps into the room, she stopped and looked down at what he'd put into her hand. It was a key ring, with two keys on it... Turning to look at him, her eyes were filled with surprise.

"I can't accept this... Link this must have cost you a fortune."

He stood there in silence, his mind once again racing in panicked circles.

_WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo? Oh for the love of little fairies just ASK her!_

Taking a deep breath he walked up to her, took her hand in his, and as her eyes widened in shock he dropped to one knee and held up the ring he'd broken several speed records to get back here in time with.

"I want you to have this because I want to spend the rest of my life with you...Mila, will you marry me?"

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: That was FUN! lol, poor Link, I think I tortured him in this one XD**


	61. Congratulations of a Queen

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hee hee, here's some more fun.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 61: Congratulations of a Queen

Smiles lighting their faces, arms around one another's shoulders, the young couple walked through the lesser gate into the castle grounds together, the guard on the gate giving a smile and a wink to the hero as he and Mila passed beneath the stone arch. The two of them were smiling so much that heads were turning to watch them pass well before they even reached the people concerned, but neither of them cared, they were too happy for that. Back at the house, in that instant after Link had asked her, he'd found himself being held in a crushing hug as Mila threw herself into his arms with an exultant 'YES'. She'd been so happy that she'd actually knocked him flat, the two of them bursting into laughter as they helped each other up again. After that he'd shown her around the house, being complimented by her on his choice of colours for curtains and such, with which he'd actually stuck with cream and pale yellow, two rather safe colours all told. By the time they'd left the house to go and tell Tetra and Aryll night was beginning to fall, though given how happy two of them would be it was doubtful anyone would get much sleep tonight, they'd be too busy celebrating. And so this found them here, now heading for Tetra's office which was where the young queen had been when Mila had left to meet Link at one hundred and fifty-two Lesser Gate Street.

When they finally reached it and entered, it was a slightly stressed looking queen that greeted them, not registering the fact that the pair were holding hands.

"Oh, Mila, just the person I needed to see. I've received several applications for the vacancies among the kitchen staff and I'd like for you to work with the head cook to choose those who we'll hire."

Mila grinned, pulling Link close before nonchalantly putting her left and now ring bearing hand over her heart.

"I'd be happy to, especially since, with your permission of course, I was going to ask Chef Brinia to cook the meal to be served at the evening reception after the ceremony."

Link gave her a small nudge, stopping her from saying more.

"Be fair, Mila, she's too tired to pick up on subtleties." He met Tetra's confused gaze. "I've asked Mila to marry me, just to let you know, and from her grinning it should be obvious what her answer was."

It was then that Tetra finally registered that Link had his arm around the girl's shoulders, and that said girl was waving a hand with a ring on it... She blinked for several seconds.

"...You're... getting married?" Blue eyes widened, as sleep deprivation vanished beneath a wide grin. "_YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED! We've got to tell Aryll and Navi! _"

The next second Tetra practically exploded from behind her desk, grabbing the hands of the laughing couple before dragging them out through Mila's office and into the hallway beyond. Members of the castle staff stopped and stared as their queen charged past, before they began to smile as well once she'd blurted the news to them as she and her two friends she was towing vanished around the next bend. Link would bet that at this rate the entire population of the castle would know within the next five minutes, and the entire city before morning. By the time the trio barged into the room belonging to the hero's sister, echoes of 'Link', 'Mila', and 'engaged' were already coming from some of the castle's notorious hallways.

Aryll was so caught off guard that she practically leapt into the air before falling off her bed, the book she'd been reading flying across the room to land with a thud right on top of a certain rather unfortunate fairy.

"Wha?! Ummph!" She mumbled incoherently for a moment, her face having been introduced to the stone floor. Getting herself upright again, as the nearby fairy crawled out from under the book, she rubbed her head and peered up at the trio. "What's the emergency?"

Mila reached down and pulled her to her feet.

"Link asked me to _marry_ him! He spent the last two days getting furniture for the house he's bought for us, he set up _everything_ and then asked me to meet him there, and that's when he asked me!"

By this point Link wasn't going to bother saying a thing, it was doubtful he'd get a word in edgewise with Mila, Tetra, and now his sister all talking about it in excited voices.

"You sneaky... and you told me to stay with Aryll because she wanted to hear stories about the forest!"

Link winced as Navi's voice joined the fray, though that was the extent of her reprimands. Instead she immediately perched herself on Aryll's shoulder as she, Tetra, and Mila all sat on the bed to begin discussing wedding ideas. He took that as he cue to leave them to it, and headed for the room next door which had been assigned to him. After all, he had someone else to inform of the good news. Entering the room and settling down on the bed to look up at the ceiling, he reached out to a distant mind on an island to the north.

_/Dad./_

There was a slight hesitation in the response, a faint glimpse of paper very close to face reaching his mind. It would seem his father had fallen asleep at his desk again, though at least the new mix being used for ink didn't transfer onto skin so easily. Both Eidan and Tetra had suffered writing printed onto their faces on several occations before that, from dozing off in the middle of reading or writing something.

_/Link... What's the occasion? Even half asleep I can tell you're extremely happy about something./_

Link grinned, knowing that his father would sense it.

_/Oh nothing, just that you're going to have a daughter-in-law./_

The pause seemed to last forever until..

_/What?! ...Finally! I was beginning to wonder when you'd ask her. I was sure she'd made her interest plain enough with her constant blushing every time you complimented her on something... Not to mention your own interest, what with the way _you_ kept blushing every time she thanked you for something./_

Speaking of blushing, that's what Link was doing now out of embarrassment.

_/Daaaad! Cut it out!./_

He heard a mental chuckle.

_/Alright, I'll stop it with the teasing... Oh and another thing... You _do_ realise that as her Champion, Tetra can't let the wedding be a small one. I hope you're up for a full state wedding because that's what you're going to get./ _Link blanched whiter than white, a faint strangled sound escaping his lips. Eidan sensed it, the instant his son's mind seemed to freeze solid. _/Link? Link? ...Perhaps I timed that a bit bad.../_

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: I know this is short but I couldn't be bothered to merge it with the chapter after this... which would have meant re-numbering almost 40 chapters in my chapter plan. :S**


	62. Political Manoeuvring

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the long wait, but with losing my old job and getting another I've been rather busy.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 62: Political Manoeuvring

"Why the heck didn't I ask you sooner? ...If I had I wouldn't be going through this nightmare right now."

Link was slumped on the couch in the living room of his and Mila's house in Lesser Gate Street, head flung back to rest on the seat's back with a hand over his eyes. A smile on her face, his soon-to-be-wife sat down beside him.

"It's not _that_ bad, Link. I would have thought you'd be used to all the attention by now."

He groaned.

"I'm used to it but that doesn't mean I like it."

She sighed. After all she could hardly disagree with him. She'd been getting a great deal of extra attention herself and had Tetra to talk to about it, the queen being all too experienced in such matters now. Link didn't have someone like her though, as thus was having to deal with the stress all on his own.

Thinking this over, she came to a decision and got up.

"You stay here, Link. I'll go and do the formal greeting ceremony for the dignitaries who have come for the wedding. If anyone asks where you are I'll just tell them that you're feeling a little unwell, and that after you tried to insist on coming I told you to rest instead... It may have been years since I was a snooty rich girl, but I still have a reputation for being stubborn. No one will question it, and it means that you won't have to face another formal occasion stood in that Queen's Champion uniform."

Link winced at the mention of the uniform, before regarding her gratefully.

"Thanks, Mila. Once again you remind me of why I fell in love with you... You're as quick witted and devious as you are beautiful."

He grinned as he said the last bit, earning a small clip round the ear from his fiancé, along with a small laugh.

"Lack of sleep, it seems, has made you silly. If I'm not back before midnight then I'll be sleeping in my room at the castle."

With that she walked out of the house, pausing only once to look back as Link laid himself out on the couch with a sigh. He was exhausted, for all his skill in hiding it. These past few months he'd been travelling back and forth like a madman, dealing with one thing after another, using his status as the Hero of Winds to keep the Islands and Mainland together, helping Tetra with every ounce of effort he could. Even when he'd been 'taking a breather', like that winter spent in Hyrule Castle Town, he'd been using that time to improve relations between the two sides and to smooth out the many minor disagreements that had inevitably sprung up here and there. Walking now towards the Lesser Gate, she couldn't help but compare the time he'd had to her own. What had she faced in that time? A few scandals among the castle staff, and the occasional eruptions of stress induced temper and frustration from Tetra. She'd had it easy by comparison, but now she was in a position to take some of his burden off his shoulders, starting with what she could do today.

Her arrival in the castle was a quiet one, with her risking causing a minor scandal of her own by using the servants' stairways and back passages to reach her room. Once there she went one step further by picking her dress and getting herself ready without asking the help of the personal maid Tetra had had little choice but to assign to her, for the sake of keeping to at least some of the Old Traditions and thus not stepping on too many traditionalists' toes. Right now Mila just wanted a few more minutes of peace and quiet. Besides, her maid would be here soon anyway, arriving at the agreed half an hour before the ceremony would begin.

Mila sat at her dressing table and began to apply her makeup, just the gentle hints of colour that she preferred, and which would go best with the cream trimmed, pale green dress she wore. She was just beginning to pin her hair up in a series of looped tresses when the door opened, a young, brown haired girl, barely out of her teens, walking in

The girl stared at her in surprise for a moment, before darting over and taking the next hair pin out of Mila's fingers.

"My lady! I should be doing that! ...Isn't my work good enough?"

The last part had held a pleading note to it, girl beginning to fuss over arranging her mistress' hair with fingers that trembled slightly. She was afraid she'd be dismissed; lose her job, a job that Mila knew the girl really needed.

She sighed.

"Please, don't think that I don't want help. It's just that I need more than a maid, I need a friend."

The girl paused her work in surprise.

"M-milady?"

Mila shook her head slightly.

"Are you forgetting that, up until I accepted Link's proposal, I was a personal maid myself, the queen's at that. I've seen the stress she's been under, and know that it wasn't my work as a maid that she valued, it was my friendship. I was the one who she could talk to when she was upset; who she could ask for another opinion when she wasn't sure what she was doing was right. I'll always be her friend and confidant, but with my new position as wife of her Champion, and Head of the Castle Staff, I'm not going to have as much time as I did before. I've already made sure that her new maid is a person she'll get on well with, and who she can talk to, but now I realise that she's not the only one who needs someone." She turned and looked up at the startled girl. "I'm going to have a lot to do to help my husband, and through that I'm going to need someone to help me the way I helped Tetra... Will you be that person? I never got to pick my maid, and since as I picked an Island girl for Tetra, she had to pick a Mainlander for me to prevent accusations of favouritism. I don't want you to think that's the only reason she picked you, because I'm sure she chose you with the same thing in mind as I had for hers."

Sakia blinked wide blue eyes at her for several moments, before gently turning Mila's head back to face the mirror so that she could continue to arrange her hair. Even so Mila's reflection continued to watch her, causing the young maid to become flustered.

"I...I..."

Mila sighed again.

"I know how hard up your family are right now, with your father unable to work, and understand the pressure you're under to help support them." Again the girl stopped in surprise as Mila continued. "I think that's one of the reasons the queen picked you for me. I know what it's like to be under that pressure... When we lost our family fortune and ended up homeless, my father was in no state to work and so I got a job to pay for a roof over our heads, and not only that I worked to save up money so that we could buy a new house of our own. He lives in that home now, the home my effort bought for him, and now he's managed to get a job of his own. But it wouldn't have happened without my help, nor the help of others... Link, my fiancé, gave me as a gift a large amount of money from his own earnings to help me get that house. He never asked any thanks for it, and I think now that he did it not just out of kindness, but because he loved me even back then. He taught me a lot about friendship, and if it was because of me that my father has a home now, it's because of Link that I found in myself the will to strive for it... I understand you a lot more than I think you know, and that's why I believe we could be good friends if you'd stop worrying so much about what others think. I'm the Head of Staff, remember, and no one, not even the Mistress of the Maids, can dismiss you from your job unless I approve it... and I have no intention of doing that to someone who reminds me so much of myself."

Mila continued to watch the girl's face. She'd been considering giving the girl this talk since she was assigned to her two weeks previous, but with all the running around she'd never gotten around to it. But after deciding to give Link a break from all the meetings and such, she'd realised that now was as good a time as any. She was getting married in just four days time, and after that she was going to need Sakai as a confidant more than ever.

Speaking of the girl, her eyes were now fixed on the back of her mistress' head, before the slightest change in her expression signalled that the words had hit home. She reached among the already pinned up tresses and pulled the two that came from the front loose, leaving them to hang either side of Mila's face.

"I've got some really thin cream and green ribbons in my room that you can use. If I twine them with the hair either side of your face it will look really pretty with your dress. It's also one of the styles that were favoured by the nobility before the Sealing, so it'll make the dignitaries think that you've made the effort to get to know the customs that they're used to... I'll go let the Queen's maid know to do the same with her hair as well if you like."

Mila smiled as the girl pinned the last of the tresses at the back into place.

"How about you get those ribbons and we'll both go? Then you can show Tetra's maid how to tie them properly."

Sakia managed a small tentative smile, the look in her eyes saying that the offer of friendship was being accepted.

"I'd like that... Mila..."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

Standing at the head of the room, person after person coming over to speak pleasantries and offer words of congratulations to the bride-to-be, Tetra was pleased to find that her choice of maid for Mila had been a good one. Right now she wanted to bless the brown haired girl who stood just behind her mistress' shoulder, ready in case she was needed for something. More than a few of the Mainlander dignitaries, representatives of the various tribes and settlements, had reacted in some small way to the ribbon-twined tresses that hung either side of hers and Mila's faces, a comment from one revealing that it was a style favoured by quite a few of Hyrule's previous queens. It was a gesture that had bought her the previously uncertain favour of a great many of them, for whom this was the first time meeting her, and Mila's confidence in speaking with both intelligence and understanding of the circumstances that everyone was in, was also cementing the loyalty of these people to the throne ever more. Her no nonsense explanation for Link's absence had also garnered for the young woman a considerable amount of respect in addition to that she was already gaining. She was showing that she could set personal feelings aside when making choices for the good of others, practically ordering the overworked Champion to go to bed despite his insistence on coming to this event. For Tetra to have such a woman at her side as an advisor, to which she'd readily admitted that she'd turned to Mila for advice in the past, meant that these leaders of the tribes and settlements of Hyrule knew that the throne was strong and secure. One of those leaders was heading over to her now, the young man behind him having enough of a resemblance that he was obviously the man's son, but then every dignitary so far had brought one or two of their children with them to meet her after she'd announced that she would like to take on one from each place as assistants. The arrangement ensuring that each settlement and tribe would gain someone who would know her well and could vouch for her in the future.

Stopping before her, the ebon haired pair bowed before the elder of them spoke.

"I'm the Mayor of Kakariko; it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Highness. Your new Champion and his father both spoke highly of you when they visited." He indicated the young man behind him, a man with a slightly sullen expression on his face. "This is my son, Daneil. He's my youngest, and the one I've picked as Kakariko's representative among your assistants. He's smart, and a fair bit quicker of thought than his brothers and sister. I'm sure he'll do Kakariko proud."

Daneil flushed slightly, glancing to the side.

"What he means to say is that I drive my brother's crazy by working things out faster than them. They see me as competition to be Father's successor, despite the fact I've said countless times that I'm not interested in being the next Mayor. Sending me here just means that I'll be out of his hair and my brother's will stop pestering him to name his successor... That is unless this backfires and they see my being sent here as his showing preference for me over them..."

His eyes held a dislike of being pressured into things, and also a hint of the trapped look of a deer under a hunter's stare. He was like a bird in a cage, one who was facing a chance to fly free but was still fearful that he would find his wings were clipped. His gaze fell to the floor as his father turned to reprimand him.

"Daneil! Is that any way to speak in front of your queen?!"

Tetra interrupted him.

"It's fine. I understand how he feels to a certain extent. I've never known the pressure of having siblings who see you as competition, but I do know the pressure not to do things wrong and not getting on the wrong side of some people, only for you to end up upsetting others. He wants to make you proud but is afraid his brothers will react badly, when all he wants is yours and their approval."

The mayor turned and looked at her in surprise, while his son stared at her in shock. Pausing for a moment, the black haired young man's blue eyes met hers for the first time.

"How did you... Just from those few words..?"

She smiled.

"Like I said, I understand that kind of pressure. Understand wanting to please everyone only to find that to please some you may find yourself upsetting others. Give your brothers time and I'm sure things will work out." She glanced to the side, where Mila was just ending her conversation with the Mayor of Grey Tor. "Now I think it's time you introduced yourselves to the bride-to-be. There will be plenty of time to talk later."

Both of them stared for a moment longer before nodding heading over to speak to Mila. Tetra watched them go even as the next group approached her, her gaze remaining in place just long enough to see Daneil glance back at her and smile in thanks. The next instant she found herself fighting not to blush in response, instead fixing her eyes on those who would be introducing themselves next... but that didn't stop the fluttering feeling inside of her as she remembered how that smile had lit up his eyes. She spoke to the next group, all the while still aware of the two from Kakariko as they spoke to Mila, and no sooner than this next group moved on did she turn her eyes back to the sapphire eyed man and his father, the former whom was also sneaking a glance at her. He smiled again, again that fluttering feeling rising, as she found herself smiling back at this man who was kindred to herself.

_I'll admit I've felt alone, despite the support of my friends. Have I finally found someone who could be more than just a friend, like Link has found Mila?_

She turned her attention back to the task at hand, greeting the next group to come to her. Those who would be joining her as assistants would be staying in Hyrule City for the next two years... She would have plenty of time to find out.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah the TetraxDaneil stuff is blatant, but I didn't want her left out in the romance stakes XD**


	63. An Unexpected Wedding Guest

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the long wait, but with losing my old job and getting another I've been rather busy. I also warn that from this point onwards this story will contain spoilers for Phantom Hourglass.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 63: An Unexpected Wedding Guest

Back and forth the people rushed, happy shouting filling the air as the anticipation for tomorrow's special event began reaching a peak. The city was alive with it, alive with the joy that comes from any wedding, the joy of the upcoming marriage of someone as important as the Queen's Champion. Shops and homes were decked out with all manner of decorations, and even now the people were putting up still more. At the edge of this scene, down at the docks, a ship had pulled in just that morning... and now another more unusual vessel had just arrived at the port.

The people on the pier regarded the boat pulling into the dock with curiosity, eyes taking in the paddle wheels on its sides and the little puffs of smoke coming out of a chimney at the back. Watching as the wheels went into reverse to bring it to a complete halt, it was just at that moment that the boat's anchor dropped into the water and a tall man in a dark blue long coat stepped out of the cabin, threw a mooring rope over the nearest bollard, and kicked a couple of cloth buffers over the side to hang just above the waterline. Regarding the dockside with dark grey eyes, he then nonchalantly jumped over onto the pier and strolled up to the nearest sailor.

"Hey there. I've never been to these seas before and I'm curious about just where I am." He jerked his head, indicating the ship that had pulled in a few hours before. "I spotted that ship, and since it seemed to know where it was going, I followed it."

The sailor grinned.

"Ah, a new face on the Great Sea. This be Hyrule City, Stranger, the capital of the Kingdom of Hyrule."

The man raised an eyebrow the same shade as his grey-brown hair.

"A 'kingdom', eh? That's a first for me. Only places I've ever been are scattered islands that answer to no one but themselves... Visited an area of the seas once where they worshiped an 'Ocean King', a great white whale served by three spirits, Leaf, Neri, and Ciela... But it turned out that it existed in a separate world that I was then sent back from... so most people tend not to believe me when I tell them about it..."

His tone was self depreciating at this point. The sailor however just kept grinning.

"Well, people here are not likely to scoff at that tale. We've had some pretty unusual happenings ourselves over the past year. A year ago the land that you can see around us wasn't even here... It just, 'poof', rose out of the ocean by the will of the gods."

The man gawked, blinking, before clearing his throat.

"...Why can I never seem to end up somewhere where there isn't something strange going on...?" He shook his head. "Can you tell me of any decent place to stay in this city? Not sure how long I'm gonna hang around here, but I might as well take a couple of days to have a look about."

He was immediately pointed towards the widest of the streets leading onto the dockside.

"Head down there and go left at the first turn. Then just follow the road until you see the inn, you can't miss it." He pointed again, this time at a man sat behind a small desk-like structure. "Don't forget to pay your mooring fees before you head off though. Any ship that doesn't pay them get's blockaded in until they do. Big docks with a lot of piers like this one take money to maintain, so it's the ships that use it that pay towards that cost. The rest comes out of the taxes, but the mooring fees over the year pay for most of it."

The man sighed.

"Oh well, it could be worse. Thanks for your help, friend."

The man then walked off towards the port master to pay the fees, while behind him people still stared curiously at his strangely powered ship.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_Man, I have _got_ to get out of this city for a while... A few more 'congratulations' from people and I swear I'm going to scream!_

Link darted down a back street, a cloak pulled up over his head to hide his face as he did everything short of flying to avoid any more well wishers. The past few weeks had gone from pleasant euphoria at becoming engaged... to outright dread that someone would spot him in the street, recognise him, and set off a chain reaction whereby every person within two hundred yards would find out where he was and seek to give him their best regards on his upcoming wedding... A wedding that was set for tomorrow at noon.

Continuing to keep his face hidden, he slipped from one hiding place to another through the back streets of Hyrule City.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

_This is a nice place they've got here... Man how did they build so much in less than a year?_

The man strolled down the bustling street, watching as people rushed about the stalls lining this particular road. Upon asking what the fuss and decorations were about, he'd learned that the Queen's Champion was getting married tomorrow. A young man who had also saved this area of the Great Sea from a 'Great Evil'... and thus was known as the Hero of Winds. He got the impression that there was a long story behind it, but doubtless if the guy was getting married tomorrow there would be plenty of people regaling those events at the celebrations... Why waste time now learning something he'd hear about later?

Pausing for a moment, he looked at a suddenly much denser area of crowd ahead. The excited shouts that soon reached his ears telling him that at its centre was the queen and her Champion's wife-to-be. Not wanting to be caught up in the fuss, he darted into a side street and headed off towards what he hoped would be a quieter part of town. He'd barely gotten fifty yards when something slammed into him from the side and knocked him flat.

"Watch where the heck you're going!"

At his shout the culprit leapt to their feet and reached down to pull him up... Followed by their startled exclamation.

"..._Linebeck?!_"

The man stared up into a pair of familiar green eyes, peering out from beneath the hood of a cloak. He gawked.

"...L...Link?" Linebeck scrambled to his feet, finding that the 'kid' he'd met all those years ago was now the same height as he was. "Now this is a surprise... So this 'Hyrule' place is where you're from? I always wondered about that."

A smile plucked at the corner of Link's mouth, as he regarded this man who helped him on an adventure that as far as this world was concerned... only took ten minutes...

"Yeah, this is where I'm from." He paused and peered furtively towards where an increasing amount of noise was coming from the nearby street. "Um... can we take this conversation somewhere else...? I'd rather not be spotted by someone..."

At this comment Linebeck folded his arms and regarded this young man before him speculatively.

"In trouble with the authorities? I didn't think you had that in you..."

The next second found him slapped around the back of the head by the blond youth.

"I am _not_ in trouble with the authorities... It's just if I have to face one more mob of people wanting to congratulate me on my wedding tomorrow I'm going to lose my mind!"

As he pressed his head against a nearby wall in frustration... Linebeck's jaw looked as though it might fall to the floor.

"Y-You're the 'Queen's Champion'? The guy they say around here 'defeated a great evil'? ...Man you never get a break, do ya? First that stuff with Bellum and then this 'Great Evil'?"

Link turned, his expression wry.

"Actually the 'Great Evil' stuff happened before the stuff with Bellum. I first set out when I was eleven, defeated him not long after I turned twelve, went sailing with Tetra and the Pirates for a while, encountered the Ghost Ship, did all the stuff with Bellum, came back to the Great Sea, sailed around a bit more, helped re-found the Kingdom of Hyrule, spent two years building my ship the Red Lion, got a job delivering parcels for the postal service, then land suddenly rose out of the sea, and now after a great deal of running around and stuff I'm Queen's Champion and about to get married... Not bad for a guy that's only seventeen... Wouldn't you say? Oh, that and I found out from my dad, who spent twelve years shipwrecked and only got back a year ago, that I'm descended from the Hero of Time... The guy who initially sealed away the 'Great Evil' that I myself defeated after it escaped."

Linebeck looked at though he was about to fall over in shock. He blinked a few times before he finally answered.

"N-Not bad at all..." He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Now I know why the Temple of the Ocean King, a place that _sucks the life out of you,_ didn't faze you in the slightest. Seen it all before, eh?"

The young hero chuckled.

"Nah, the 'life sucking' thing was new, but the greatest enemy to a person is fear... so I didn't let it get to me. These days if Bellum were to show up I'd blast him to dust in about two seconds, now that I have the Triforce of Courage back."

The man looked baffled.

"Triforce of what?"

Sighing in resignation, Link took him by the arm and began to lead him down the back street.

"Let's go to the castle and commandeer the Queen's study... We won't be bothered in there and I can explain everything without being interrupted.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

If Linebeck had been stunned before, he was beyond shock now. Link had just told him _everything_ about Hyrule, the Triforce, the Sages, and all the crazy recent goings on, and the steamship captain looked like he was on the verge of having a seizure.

"I... I..." He fell silent again for a few moments. "And I think what I acted like towards you when we first met... I must have looked like a complete idiot and a jerk to you... treating you like some snotty kid when you were an experienced warrior and hero."

Link grimaced.

"I didn't take it personally if that's what you mean. I could tell that you'd turn out alright in the end, it was just that after things in your past you were reluctant to let people know you as the person you were... You were afraid they'd see you as weak. But there's different kinds of strength, Linebeck, and you proved in the end that you _are_ strong, just in your own way."

The steamboat captain's lip began to tremble, and moments later Link was on the receiving end of a crushing hug.

"Thank you! You're a great friend, Kid!"

"Now isn't this a touching scene... Linebeck, I think you'd better let go of Link's head before he suffocates, or Mila here may find herself short one fiancé." Linebeck let go of Link, who promptly began to gasp after being deprived of air by the man's hug, and spun around to find himself looking at two blond haired young women... One of which was as familiar as Link and was wearing a crown. Tetra smiled. "Welcome to my kingdom, Linebeck. It's a little shaky around the edges right now with all that's happened, but it's getting there." Her smile widened. "Perhaps now would be a time to _formally_ introduce myself, since you only know me as Tetra... I am Tetra Zyara Hyrule, Queen of this area of the Great Sea."

Now _that_ was something that Link had omitted... The result was that Linebeck stared at Tetra for a few seconds... and then flat out fainted.

Glancing down at him, Mila chuckled.

"He he, now was that really fair to spring on him like that? I think that was a bit too much for him to hear."

After reaching up and tugging a nearby bell pull to call a servant, Tetra too began to chuckle.

"He knew me very briefly as a spunky young woman who got herself turned into a statue... He had no idea I was royalty... For a guy who used to be obsessed with becoming rich, I guess it would be a bit much to take in."

The servant arrived, and with Link's help hauled the unconscious captain to a guest room to 'recover'.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The faintest of groans heralded his waking up, barely audible, but enough that the small someone watching over him rushed from her perch to hover right in front of his just opened eyes, eyes that widened in terror as said watcher excitedly grinned, poked the end of his nose, and declared gleefully 'you're finally awake!'. Two seconds later half the castle knew he was...

"AHHH!! RABID FAIRY!! IT'S CIELA BACK TO HAUNT ME!!!"

That shriek brought the man in the adjacent room charging in just in time to stop Linebeck trying to swat the confused fairy with the nearest solid object. Plucking Navi out of the air by her wings, Link put his other hand on the sailor's shoulder.

"Calm down! This isn't Ciela, this is my friend Navi. She's the Forest Fairy I told you about; the one who travelled with my ancestor. Don't worry about her, she doesn't bite."

Navi, who was still hanging from his fingers by her wings, muttered quietly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. If you don't let go of me in the next five seconds you might find yourself short of a few fingers..."

Link quickly let go of her, after which she flew out of the room giving him a dirty look. Watching her go, he sighed.

"Well at least she didn't blast me in the face with magic like the day we met. I saw spots for hours." He turned back to Linebeck. "Since you're awake now, do you want to come with me to Windfall? My dad's coming to the wedding tomorrow, as is Mila's father, but before that we were going to spend a couple of hours in Gillian's Cafe. My last night as a single man and all that. My sister will be bringing us back in the morning."

Linebeck, having no idea where or what Windfall was, was quite happy to agree.

"I'm up for it, Kid! Just tell me which way to go!"

Link grinned.

"Ok, stand up and give me your arm. My dad's been waiting and ready for almost an hour now."

Now rather confused, the steamship captain did as was asked, offering his arm to Link who grabbed hold of it firmly. A slight widening of that grin was the only warning before a sudden lurch found the two of them in a completely different room with a man bearing a strong resemblance to the smirking hero.

Linebeck looked around frantically in shock.

"What the! What the heck just happened?!"

Link chuckled.

"We just travelled over twenty sea leagues in the blink of an eye... A sea league is about five miles..."

Linebeck gawked as Eidan too began to chuckle at the prank his son had just pulled on the captain.

"Over a hundred... WHY DO YOU KEEP DUMPING ALL THESE FREAKY THINGS ON ME LIKE THIS!!"

Eidan muttered quietly in amusement.

"Probably because the way you react to them is so funny..." He continued at a normal volume, distracting Linebeck from whatever visions of maiming his son the captain might have been entertaining. "Let's get going. If we leave it too long then the cafe will be closed before we've had a chance of a proper chat."

He walked out of the room past a large map table, Link following behind, leaving Linebeck to glare after them indignantly before following as well muttering to himself.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

"Wow, so you were actually possessed by that Bellum thing? After you picked up the Phantom Sword and hit him with it?"

Eidan was actually regarding Linebeck with at least a small amount of awe, and of course the steamship captain was more than happy to bask in it. Sitting at a table in the back corner of Gillian's cafe, he folded his arms and nodded smugly as the trio with him looked on.

"That's right. If it weren't for me stepping in like that, then Link here would have been squished, the queen too. Not to mention that without my taking him all over the place in my ship he'd never have even gotten off Mercay Island. Yup, without me Bellum would have still been terrorising the World of the Ocean King."

Link slapped him on the shoulder with a smile.

"But don't forget that without me you'd still be in that trap on the first floor of the Temple of the Ocean King... Certainly dead after this amount of time... Another Fallen Adventurer in the shadows of the temple." He smirked. "Although you'd be the only one who didn't have anything useful to tell the next adventurer to walk that path. At best you'd just annoy them so much that they'd be so ticked off the Phantoms would run away from them screaming in terror."

Linebeck twitched as Eidan and Mila's father began to laugh, before turning and grabbing Link by the front of his tunic.

"Why you little!"

Link was still grinning.

"What are you going to do? Shake me until I'm dizzy again like the day we met? As I remember, even dizzy I _walked_ that first floor of the temple to get the first Sea Chart... Which you then ran off with thinking it was a treasure map..."

Linebeck glared at him for a moment longer before letting go and staring crestfallen at the floor.

"Why does everyone keep picking on me like this?"

Link patted him on the shoulder.

"Because when you start preening yourself acting like you did everything on your own, you're just asking to have the wind knocked out of your sails... It was teamwork that defeated Bellum, so give me credit for my efforts in that matter and I'll give you credit in return." Again the two fathers laughed as the captain gave Link one final glare, before Link patted him on the shoulder one last time and got up. "Well, as it's well past nightfall I think we'd better head off to bed. I've got a wedding tomorrow and I don't think Mila would appreciate it if I fell asleep mid vow."

With that the four of them left, paying the bill as they went, each heading off to get some much needed rest before the coming day's festivities.

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

The cheers of the masses roared into the skies, handfuls of flower petals being thrown to the winds that had been helpfully stirred up by a certain sage. Through the streets, on two different paths, the bride and groom each headed with their escort towards the Castle Plaza, the location where the ceremony was about to take place. Walking alongside Link as a last minute addition best man, Linebeck had to admit that the young man was clearly very popular, and he had no doubt that Link had earned every scrap of that regard. His easy going manner, and dislike of being bowed and scraped to, had made him approachable. A role model to which the people could aspire, who wasn't so distant that they might feel they'd never achieve the same. Link was nodding and smiling his thanks at their calls of support and good luck for the future, but only Linebeck was close enough to see that the hero's hands were trembling with nerves. He'd be willing to bet that Link was more scared now than he'd ever been in any fight against any monster.

Linebeck leaned closer a little so he could speak quietly into Link's ear.

"You know I'm finding this a lot of fun...For the first time since I met you, you're actually shaking you're so scared."

Link elbowed him before muttering back.

"You try getting married in front of so many people and see just how calm and composed _you_ are."

The captain grinned.

"Touché... You got me there. Not that I'm likely to end up having a full state wedding; that is if I _ever _find a girl and get married."

A wicked smile plucked at the corner of Link's mouth.

"And what about Jolene? As I recall she was so in love with you that when you jumped ship on her with a load of her treasure she was so angry that she spent ten _years_ chasing you to get revenge... And even after all that, from what I saw of her, she was _still_ in love with you even after I beat her up all those times..."

Linebeck actually blushed before blanching whiter than white.

"Please don't mention her again... She's scarier than being possessed by Bellum!"

As the captain proceeded to chew anxiously on his fingernails, Link knew he'd shut him up for a while. Carrying on down the crowd lined street, he looked ahead to where the castle gates stood open waiting for him, waiting like the golden haired woman who stood there gazing at him. All thought left his mind at this point, as he looked upon Mila in her gown of purest white and gold, smiling at him. By the time he reached her side and her father handed her arm to him he was no longer aware of the cheering around him. All he knew was the deep blue of her eyes as they met his.

Together they walked down the road into the Castle Plaza, to where Tetra waited before the fountain there to officiate the marriage between her two friends. When they reached her and stopped, she smiled and raised her arms, bringing silence from the massed guests.

"We are gathered here today to witness this marriage, between he who is the Hero of Winds and Queen's Champion, and she whom he holds dearest in his heart. Let us wish them the happiest of futures, this day they speak their vows to one another."

..--.-,-.-.--,-,--.-.-.-,--.-,-,-.-,--.

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hee hee, man I'm glad things turned out that I could include the Phantom Hourglass stuff. Before I played it I thought it would clash, but found out that it was a piece of cake to add it in. Linebeck rocks... so many things and jokes that can come from him. I can't wait to write them XD**


	64. Search for a Sword

**Alaia Skyhawk: Back into the plot now :) This is gonna be short since while I could detail the actual search, it'd be kinda boring. (walk to bush, look under bush, walk through grass, look among grass... You get the idea, not to mention that trying to think what to put for those scenes has given me writer's block on this chapter for ages) So I just opted for a few short scenes to show the passing of time, etc.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

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Chapter 64: Search for a Sword

-

"Well, there's no going back now. At least no one panicked."

Tetra gazed out of the window of her study, Impa, traditionally the Sage to act as advisor to the Royal Family, stood behind her. That morning the Sages had informed every person in the kingdom about the Master Sword being missing, and had on their return brought a great many volunteers with them. Even now those volunteers were heading south from Hyrule City, heading for the area where the sword was most likely to be. The search for it had begun, and with the number of people involved it would hopefully only take about a month before that area had been fully searched. No more than a month before the Sages would be able to enter the Sacred Realm once more.

The Sage of Shadow sighed, idly turning a tiny crystal sphere over in her hands.

"My fellow Sages and I have given them more than enough of these markers for the task. As each zone in the area has been searched, they will drop one of these and the relevant square on the map will begin to glow." Both of them turned to look at the map on the table, which thanks to Medli's power, would speed up knowing the search's progress considerably. "...Link is going to be rather annoyed when he and Mila get back from their honeymoon."

The young queen smiled, Link and Mila having gone to spend a few weeks at the Hero's cabana, though where he'd gotten the deed for it from she'd never been able to find out.

"He'll get over it, and besides if we have the sword when he gets back it will be a nice surprise for him."

Impa's expression was bland.

"Oh, and the fact that when he gets back and finds out that Medli and Komali have also married, and taken part in the search, he won't be annoyed?"

Tetra winced. Komali had, after watching Link get married, decided to stop beating around the bush and ask the question everyone who knew him knew he wanted to ask. His and Earth Sage's wedding had been a quiet one by comparison to the hero's, and both he and Medli were holding off their honeymoon to help with the search. Link was _not_ going to be happy.

"I'll deal with it when he gets back. Right now though, I'm going to concentrate on finding that sword."

The sage sighed.

"Don't blame me if it blows up in your face later..."

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

"Race you to the first zone, Komali!"

"Hey, stop using your Sage powers, cheater!"

Medli laughed, an orb of light streaking ahead of her husband as he valiantly tried to keep up with his all too ordinary wings. Komali frowned thoughtfully as he watched her, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

_I wonder..._

With a smirk he reached out to a certain item in his possession, feeling immediately a burst of energy as golden light flared around him.

Two seconds later the Sage of Earth exclaimed in shock as an orb of gold and red light shot past her.

"What?!"

It was Komali's turn to laugh.

"If you're using Sage powers, then I'll use mine as a Keeper. Catch me if you can!"

Filled with determination at the challenge, Medli raced after him across the rolling hills and forests of the mainland.

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

A finger prodded at the map on the table, running over the now extensive mass of glowing squares. The search had been going for just over two weeks now, and almost two thirds of the area where the sword was theorised to be had been searched. Frowning, the blond haired girl stepped away from the map, joining the young queen beside the window.

"Something doesn't feel right..."

Startled by the unexpected words, Tetra turned to look at the sister of her Champion.

"Have you had another of those dreams, Aryll?"

The island girl shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at the map.

"No, it's just a feeling that comes with a brief vision, just a tiny glimpse. I see a glint of silver beneath leaves, and then this strange feeling of something being wrong washes over me. It's over before I can get a proper look, and the feeling is so indistinct that I can't tell what the wrongness is. You wouldn't believe how frustrating this is."

The queen sighed.

"I can probably give a fair guess. So when did this latest vision start bugging you?"

Aryll leaned on the windowsill, gazing out at the sea.

"Just after the search began, and over the past two weeks it's been happening more often... They're close to the sword, I know it... I just wish I knew why I dread it so much..."

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

The volunteers walked over the fields, through the forests, crossing rivers and streams. Almost three long weeks had passed, three weeks of searching square after square of the countryside, the Sage of Earth using her power to activate the markers they dropped, each team having a special marker that they wished dearly to use. Dropping that marker would send word to the sage that the sword had been found.

Sighing, one man pushed his way though yet another patch of the thick gorse and brambles this zone seemed to be rampant with, the thorns snagging on his leather trousers and jacket which thankfully protected his skin from being shredded. It was tough going, pushing through the undergrowth and at the same time pausing to look underneath it. Shaking his head he kept going, only the thought of the importance of this search giving him the will to continue in his tired state. They would rest once this zone had been completed.

Still forcing his way across the land, like the many men and women who made up a long wavering line across the landscape to either side of him, his next stop to look brought his heart pounding up into his throat. Light flashing off silver just under the brambles in front of him, white light beneath green. He edged towards the glint of silver, not sure what it was that was hidden in the dense undergrowth but hoping all the same. Pushing the fronds back, he gasped as an unmistakable blue hilt became visible.

"The Master Sword!" He shouted out so the team leader would hear him. Drop the signal marker! I've found it!"

A chorus of cheers broke out as he pushed the fronds back further, but his expression of exultation turned to one of horror. Exposed fully to the light, he could now see that the sword had been sundered...

Its long silvery blade was broken in two...

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, I'm evil. Now you know what the 'wrench' was that Medli said she felt before she lost contact with the sword. (Rubs hands together in anticipation) I'm looking forward to the next sequence of chapters, so many of my little hints from way back are being pulled together.**


	65. Trying to Fix It

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehe.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 65: Trying to Fix It

-

It was with a heavy heart that she flew down towards the castle, sensing even now that all seven of her fellow sages were already there, waiting for her to arrive. They were waiting, waiting with the hope of opening the door to the Sacred Realm at long last. That hope was about to be dashed. Dread filled her heart, and it was with the greatest of regrets that she flew in through the open window of Tetra's study, orb of light replaced by her normal form as she settled to the floor beside the map on the table.

Medli looked at them with shadowed eyes, causing Makar to frown and the others to stare at her in puzzlement.

The Sage of Wind took a step towards her, an edge of uncertainty to his voice.

"What's wrong? Medli, tell me what's wrong."

By way of answer, she called forth that which they had searched for into her hands, holding the two fragments aloft.

"It's broken... The Master Sword has been broken..." Tears welled up. "It's all my fault. I was the one who channelled all that power through it, and now that I look back I'm sure that wrench I felt was the moment it happened... It's all my fault..."

Ruto rushed to her side, putting an arm around the now sobbing woman's shoulders.

"It's not your fault, it's no ones fault. You were asked to channel that power by the gods, for the sake of giving a new life to those that had been Sealed. The Master Sword being broken by that is just something that happened as a result. Instead of dwelling on it, you need to turn your attention to the task of fixing it." Medli looked up in surprise, Ruto smiling at her. "You're one of the Sages of the Master Sword. If anyone can repair it, it's you and Makar. Why not give it a try?"

The Rito woman stared at her for a moment more, before she wiped the tears from eyes that were now filled with determination.

"You're right. There's no point in looking back at might-have-beens, we need to look forward. Makar, let's give it a try."

She set the sundered blade on the floor, matching up the ends of the severed pieces before un-slinging her harp from her back as the Kokiri did likewise with his violin. Each of their songs filled the room, each note drawing a hopeful sounding chime from the blade. As they focused their will upon it, power making the air about it shiver, the Master Sword shifted slightly, the edges seeming to join... but the moment the songs stopped it snapped into two once more.

Makar dropped to his knees, gasping from the effort as he looked at the still broken blade.

"It's no good; it's actively fighting our attempts to fix it. Our power just seems to slide off. There must be more to it, because what we just tried was a waste of effort."

Medli, who had also dropped to the floor, pushed herself back to her feet.

"I think we need to ask our predecessors to see if they might know where we're going wrong. They were the Master Sword's protectors for most of its time in existence, and will probably know how it was originally made."

Aryll, who had been the only one not surprised by the sword's condition, sighed.

"Well it's not like there's any other option right now. You two go to your temples and see if you can find out anything. I'll call Link and Mila back here once you've left. Those two are gonna explode when they find out what's been going on while they were relaxing, and getting you two delayed in the fallout from that wouldn't be that good."

Everyone in the room winced. While they'd been prepared for the hero's annoyance at coming back to find they'd gone and located the sword behind his back... for him to come back and learn that they'd found it _broken_ behind his back was a confrontation none of them were looking forward to.

The two Sword Sages headed for the window, soaring away as light with a last parting word.

"Let's hope we find something that will fix this _before_ he freaks out too much..."

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

"I can't believe you did that! _What were you thinking leaving me out of the search?!_"

Link was pissed off, _really_ pissed off, and Mila didn't look too pleased either; though she at least saw their side of it.

"Look, I know you probably wanted to give Link a break from worrying about the kingdom and the sages and all that, but still, you should have learnt already from past events that hiding things from him only stresses him out more once he learns of them. Link prefers to know so that he can _do_ something about a problem... picking up the pieces afterwards is far worse."

Tetra had her head in her hands, elbows resting on the surface of her desk. The Sages of the Sacred Realm had all beaten a hasty retreat just after Makar and Medli had left, leaving the queen and Aryll to deal with the irate couple.

"Look, we're sorry. Things have come back to kick us in the butt, but we're still sorry. Makar and Medli should be at their temples by now, and with any luck they might find out how to fix the sword before much longer."

Link scowled.

"Fine, I'll leave off yelling at you until after they get back, but depending on what they learn I'll decide then just how much I yell."

Tetra sighed, wishing that things hadn't gone so sour so fast.

_Please let them find out something useful..._

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

The songs of a violin and a harp each filled their respective chambers, the notes holding in their grasp a call to spirits long gone to slumber. Just as had been those years ago, the two sprits appeared before their successors, though this time it was not to join them in prayer. Words were not needed to explain the reason for this calling, the songs themselves had conveyed the reason already.

Laruto regarded the Rito woman before her with solemn black eyes, a Kokiri youth doing likewise in a chamber so far away.

"So the Master Sword has been sundered, and you seek a way to restore it."

"Sad is this day that the great sword should not stand ready to defend the people, and sad also is that you possess not the power to repair it."

Medli stared in shock, as the voice of the Kokiri reached her ears as distant echo.

"We don't have the power to fix it? But then what are we supposed to do?! The Sages of the Sacred Realm can't enter it without the sword, and without the sword we have nothing to fight evil with in the future!"

Fado bowed his head, while his descendant looked on in entreaty.

"You must seek out the Sage of Courage. He who forged the Master Sword."

Makar took a step towards the spirit.

"There's a Sage of Courage? But where is he?!"

Laruto bowed her head also.

"The Triforce of Wisdom is your best bet. Ask it to show you the creator of the Master Sword and it will likely show you what you need to find him. For we do not know where his Temple lies."

The two spirits began to fade; the forest youth's whisper their final message.

"We met him only once, when he awakened us and handed us our sacred instruments. Once we took up our roles in these hallowed places, we never saw him again... Ask the Triforce of Wisdom, for the visions it grants are you're only chance..."

And then the spirits were gone, leaving the two sages with but one spark of hope...

To find the Sage of Courage...

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Is enjoying self immensely)**


	66. Wisdom's Vision

**Alaia Skyhawk: I love it when I don't have writer's block. These chapters are so easy to write. (Though I actually wrote this one MONTHS ago, hee hee) :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 66: Wisdom's Vision

-

"So that's what they said... Good enough for me, I suppose. I won't yell at you for leaving me in the dark about the search."

Once again all of the sages were assembled in Tetra's study, Medli and Makar having returned and told them of what their predecessors had said. Link was leaning against the wall nearby, still a little annoyed, but willing to let things go this once. The silence that filled the room after his words was filled with anticipation, as all eyes turned to the young queen.

Tetra, sighed, as calling upon her piece of the Triforce, the symbol on her hand blazing as she gave the command.

"Well I guess there's just one thing for me to do... Triforce of Wisdom, show us the maker of the Master Sword!"

The world seemed to twist, a nauseating wrench tearing them from reality as an image from many ages ago was placed around them.

It was a large circular chamber, marked on its floor with the symbol of the Triforce but nothing else, the Red Eagle of Hyrule conspicuously absent. The ceiling was low, just half the height of the sacred chambers of the Temples of Earth and Wind, and around its sides it was lined with many small alcoves, each holding a precious object that at least some of those watching could identify.

Makar spotted a familiar baton and pointed to it.

"The Windwaker!"

Medli, clutching her harp as though to make sure it was still in her arms, stared at it as it also lay in its own alcove next to the one Makar had just pointed to.

"The Earth God's Harp..." she looked in the next alcove over, "and the Wind God's Violin..."

Rauru's eyes were filled with both awe, and surprise.

"The Spiritual Stones, and the Ocarina of Time, so this is where they came from..."

Tetra, still shaken by the power flowing through her to show them this, clasped her hands to her chest as she tried to comprehend the implications of this scene as her gaze moved over the dozen or more other objects ensconced in this room.

"All of the legendary Sacred Tools, the items used over the ages to protect our world from the forces of darkness... They were all made here? _All_ of them?"

Any possible answer was cut off as the door into the chamber opened, the figure that came in at that moment catching their full attention.

Silver hair cut short glinted in the pale light that suffused the chamber, amber eyes drifting over one item or another as he moved across the room. Robed in blue and silver, his presence filled the room with a feeling that he didn't truly belong in this place, as though he didn't quite fit with the Mortal Realm. Those eyes turned and looked at them, staring out of a face that for some reason seemed strangely unfinished, the faint red scarring in the middle of his forehead seeming as out of place on him as he seemed in this room.

As they looked back they knew he was aware of them, that against all the laws of time and magic he could _see_ them. A faint smile touched his face and with a wave of his hand they felt a blanket of power obscure them from sight, leaving them baffled as to why. A few moments later they got their answer.

A woman clothed in blue and gold the same vibrant shades as her hair and eyes appeared at the edge of the room behind him, blue symbol in the middle of her forehead clearly visible to the now concealed observers even at this distance. The man, not turning, chuckled.

"Nayru, you know you can't sneak up on me. Why have you come here? You know the only reason Mother would allow such a breach is because this chamber is slightly out of phase with the rest of the Mortal Realm, and even then you're stepping dangerously close to breaking the rules. Rules that state that the creators of a world can never set foot upon it once they have departed."

As the watchers choked back a gasp of shock at the revelation of whom this woman was, the goddess sighed, her blue eyes filled with sadness.

"Am I not allowed to visit my little brother? Kaiayn, I came because I wanted to see that you were alright. This room won't be out of phase forever, and I didn't want to miss what might be my last chance to see you... Brother, can't you come home? Can't you come home once you've finished here?"

It was Kaiayn's turn to sigh.

"Sister, I'm not a god anymore; the Realm of the Gods is no place for me now. My Divinity now protects this world, lying within what I have created for the sake of protecting this world from the darkness that will inevitably seek out that which you and our sisters left behind when you departed. My divinity lies in the new Realm I created, and will fuel the power of the Guardians that will eventually awaken to protect both that realm and this one." He walked over to her, and standing next to her the reason for his seeming different was obvious. His presence was like hers, otherworldly and tinged with an essence of something eternal. In him however that essence was greatly diminished. Looking into her eyes, he put a hand on her shoulder. "You, Din, and Farore left the Triforce sitting in the middle of an open field for all to see, I expended nearly a third of my essence creating the Sacred Realm that now holds it and crafting the doorway into that realm. The remainder of that third has gone into the Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time you can see over there. When the time comes I will leave those keys to the Door _at_ the door for the Sages of the Sacred Realm to find and guard. A Sixth of my divinity I cast aside to create the Consecration Stones of the Six Temples of the Sacred Realm, and to set power for each Temple within the Sacred Realm so that those sages may use it to protect the lands and the access to the Triforce. The same amount again I have cast aside to create the Consecration Stones of the Temples of Earth and Wind, whose Sages even now are on the brink of awakening. They who with the help of your divine son, the God of Earth, and Din's divine sons, the Gods of Wind, will power the greatest of my Tools... That which I am about to make."

He turned away from her, heading back into the centre of the symbol on the floor as with a pleading expression his sister took a step after him, arm outstretched in entreaty.

"But brother, you still have a third of your divinity, you _are_ still a god. Please, come home..."

Kaiayn held out his hands palm up before him, power coalescing there as he closed his eyes.

"...I will not have that for much longer... a full half of what I have left I am about to cast aside into that which I am to make, the remainder will go into this Temple and I will become its Sage." He glanced back at her for a moment with a smile. "The Sage of Courage, for it will be by the power of Courage that darkness may be defeated in times to come. Only through courage will heroes arise that can wield what I am about to create, and as the patron from which the tools they will use will come, it is only fitting that as the Sage of this Temple I dedicate it to that Force... But don't let Farore get big headed about it, it doesn't mean I like her more than you or Din."

She would have answered, but she sensed his attention become focused on the power gathering into his hands. As both she and the concealed observers watched, fully half of the divine essence remaining in him flowed down his arms into the light he held. Seconds later the remainder shot into the floor beneath him before spreading out to fill the Temple. As he stood there, the light fading, he no longer seemed out of place. Sighing, now mortal, he gripped the fading light and pulled it until it was almost as long as one of his arms, flipping it over in his grasp he continued to pull on it until a vague shape of a sword began to form. Finally after a few minutes he gripped the part that resembled a hilt and became still.

Concerned at his sudden lack of movement, Nayru hurried to her brother's side.

"Kaiayn? Kaiayn are you alright?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, no longer a god, but confident in his power now as a Sage.

"I'm fine." He held up the blade shaped light across his hands. "What do you think?" At some unspoken command by him the light condensed, leaving in his hands a blade of silver with a hilt of deepest blue. "Behold the Master Sword, a blade infused with one Sixth of the power of the God of Protection. By the prayers of the Sages of Earth and Wind, and with the help of the Gods of those Forces, it will shine with the Light to Repel Evil. My essence within it means that dark ones may never touch it, and so it will forever stand as a beacon of hope to the world should dark times come."

Nayru managed a small smile, her lips trembling as she tried not to cry. Her brother would never be coming home.

"It's wonderful, Kaiayn, and I'm proud of you for the courage you've shown to do what you have. I'll _always_ be proud of you." A ripple passed through the air causing her to gasp and reach towards him. "No! The chamber's moving into the Mortal Realm! Stop it, Kaiayn!"

A tear ran down his cheek as she began to waver, the Balance forcing her back into the Realm of the Gods.

"I cannot, Sister, I no longer have the power to hold this chamber out of the Mortal Realm... Watch over me from home, Nayru'ine, and give our sisters and mother my love... Goodbye..."

She managed to brush a fingertip against his cheek as with a final cry she was wrenched back from whence she came.

"_Kaiayn'no!_"

The observers felt the power hiding them fall as her cry faded into silence, Kaiayn turning tear filled amber eyes upon them.

"And now you know what you came here to find out. My niece, the Goddess of Time, is fickle, and it seems she wanted me to meet you. She warned me that there would come those seeking to know who created the Master Sword, and I see that two of you hold the Tools of Earth and Wind... So... it would seem Laruto and Fado will meet their ends someday. It is good to know that their legacies will continue when that time comes." Tetra held a hand out, about to tell them what had happened to the Master Sword, but he stopped her. "No, I do not want to know what it was that led to you wanting to know of me. For me to know in this Time would disrupt the Balance, and could even cause a change in history that would wipe you out of existence... No, if you would need my help then seek me out again in your own Time... The Doors of Earth and Wind will show you the way, for between them equally this place lies. I will await you. Hold true to your Wisdom, Young One."

The symbol on her hand blazed again and he faded from sight. Moments later they were stood in the Map Room once more. Putting a hand on the edge of the map table, Tetra sighed.

"We were so close, and now we have to find him again." She looked at the map. "Equally between the Doors of Earth and Wind the Temple of Courage lies. Did he mean the Temples of Earth and Wind themselves?"

Medli stepped up to the map and used her power to lay a line of light between her temple and Makar's on the surface, and then marked the halfway point along it.

"If that _was_ what he meant, then the Temple of Courage is here, a little north of due east from Zora's Domain, right in the middle of part of the new continent. I'm confused about his reference to 'Doors' though, I think he meant more to it than just that, like it had a double meaning."

Makar frowned, mulling it over before his eyes lit with inspiration.

"Medli! When we talk to each other when we're in the sacred chambers of our temples it sounds like we're talking to each other as if from either side of an open door! What if there are magical doorways between the temples tied to the Master Sword, just as there are Doors for the Sages of the Sacred Realm to get into the Temple of Light _inside_ the Realm?!"

Catching on, the Sage of Earth broke into a wide grin.

"That would mean we might be able to reach Kaiayn directly from our own temples!"

She paused as Nabouru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on a minute, that _is_ a nice thought but we can't depend on it. Even if there _are_ Doors, you might not be able to open them. He said 'seek me out', that implies that we might be best looking for the Temple of Courage out in the land itself."

Rauru nodded in agreement along with the rest of the sages.

"Nabouru is right, but that doesn't mean we don't want you to try. Head to your temples and investigate it while the rest of us seek out the temple at the location theorised." He looked at the line of light on the map. "The Sage of Courage, to meet in this time the one who created that which I and the other Ancient Sages found that day long ago on a desolate field near the tiny village that would later become Hyrule Castle Town. Nothing but a ring of stone columns, the Spiritual Stones arrayed around the dais in the middle, and in the centre the Master Sword with the Ocarina of Time next to it. That day the six of us awakened to the Song of Time as it resonated from the ocarina, endowing us with the knowledge of our Task." He looked at his hands. "To think that I wield a portion of the power he gave up for the sake of protecting the world... That in every one of us sages there exists a part of the power of the God of Protection."

Looking at her own hands, Saria gazed at them with a hint of awe.

"It's thought provoking alright, each of us having a thirty-sixth of his power, and Medli and Makar each holding a twelfth. Put in those terms it makes you realise just how much power we actually have available, and how little of it we can use without hurting ourselves. Every god in a generation is as powerful as the others; if he was a strong as one of the Golden Goddesses then the power protecting the lands through the Temples is tremendous indeed. I'd estimate we only actually use a fraction of what we have, and I'd say that's a good thing, any more than that and it would disturb the Balance."

Medli plucked a few harp strings to get their attention.

"Thinking about the boundaries of our powers is interesting and all, but it doesn't accomplish anything. I think we'd better get back to the task at hand." She grinned. "Let's see who can reach Kaiayn first!"

She and Makar shot out of the window, the two orbs of light arrowing north and south to their respective temples.

Watching them go, Impa smiled.

"I think that was a challenge... Shall we take them up on it?"

Darunia laughed and nodded in Tetra's direction.

"I think we should. Lady Tetra, if you don't mind then we'll depart."

Tetra laughed as well.

"By all means, let the race begin."

With that the six sages dissolved into light and flew out the window, the young queen heading to the 'sill and watching as they vanished into the distance to the west.

--

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Is still enjoying self very much) XD**


	67. To Find a Door

**Alaia Skyhawk: He he, and here's another one :D These next couple are probably gonna be short, since merging them would mean re-numbering all of my prewritten chapter scenes. Lol, I love the little rhyme I made up for this one.**

**-**

**OH! And I've drawn a picture of Kaiayn in the sacred chamber of the Temple of Courage. I've done it TP style, rather than cell shaded, because I was experimenting with using a texture to render backgrounds. It looks AWESOME! The link is in my profile. Click it! Click it!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 67: To Find a Door

-

It was with a burst of laughter that the Kokiri boy landed upon the sandy shore before the entrance of his temple, a grin lighting his face as he charged in and through the myriad rooms. Golden mist swirled with his passage, winds whispered with the faint voices of spirits stirred by the aura of hope that bubbled up within him. Fan blades stilled, winds falling into tense silence as he proceeded to and then entered his temple's sacred chamber. There he stood upon the Crest of Hyrule, and called out to his fellow sage.

"Medli, are you there yet?!"

A slightly muffled voice replied, sounding, as before, as if coming through an open doorway.

"Yes. Shall we look for the one between _our_ temples first? We can use our voices to find it, and it would show us what the doors to the Temple of Courage would look like, if there are any."

"Sure." In their respective chambers, both of them headed to where the other's voice seemed the loudest, prodding the walls as the walked towards the sound. Makar grinned. "Hey, Medli. Hop!"

The Sage of Earth stopped for a moment, before realising he was starting a call-and-response rhyme they both knew. She grinned as well, prodding the wall with each step and each word...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Six orbs of light streaked over the forest below, that rolling blanket of dark green spreading for miles in all directions, from horizon to horizon as they skimmed above the tops of the trees. Six people searched below for any sign of a structure, for any sign of the temple they hoped they would find here.

Rauru called out, his fellow sages following his advice.

"We should split up. Search this area the way we searched for the Master Sword. Square by square. We know we're on the line between the Wind and Earth Temples, all we need to do is keep looking."

Six orbs of light scattered, flying over the trees like shooting stars.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"...Scotch..."

"...Jump..."

"...Leap..."

"...Lazy..."

"...People..."

"...Will..."

"...Sleep..."

"...Lazy..."

"...People..."

"...Do..."

"...Snore..."

"...Let's..."

"...Find..."

"...This..."

"...Door..."

"OWW, _you almost hit me in the eye!_"

Medli hastily pulled her arm out of the wall it had just passed through, having almost punched her fellow sage as her prod sent it straight through what had looked like a solid surface.

"Sorry. Well at least we know now that there _is_ a door between our temples."

She lifted her harp, playing the Earth God's Lyric in case it would help them see the door that right now was still hidden. It did, and in response a flat topped stone doorway appeared beside her, the area within it remaining as wall, although it rippled slightly.

Makar's head appeared as he stuck it through from the other side, glancing at the surround.

"The door just appeared on my side as well, and given how much symmetry is such a big thing in all of the Temple's sacred chambers, I'm guessing the Courage Door will be over there."

He came fully through the door and pointed to a spot on the far wall, the mirror image of where they stood now. If he was right, then all three doors into the chamber, normal, wind, and courage, would be equally spaced around circumference.

The two of them walked over to it, Medli lifting her harp once again. No sooner than the crystal notes had faded than an identical doorway appeared... only in this one the wall _was_ solid.

Medli thumped it with a fist.

"Now we just need to figure out how to open it..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A cheerful voice reached six minds, filled with triumphant glee.

**Medli and I have found the doors. We're trying to open the one to the Temple of Courage now.**

The orange orb dimmed a little, before brightening as Nabouru spoke with disappointment.

"Damn, they beat us."

Laughter came from her left, from the green light that had just taken a dive towards a clearing just ahead of her.

Saria shot down into it.

"Well we might still beat them inside! I think I've just found it!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yup, it was short. It wasn't a long topic, and neither is the next really. Anyways, I'll update in a block again since I can't be bothered to merge the chapters. :D**


	68. Temple of Courage

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 68: Temple of Courage

-

Stone stood amongst the trees, set into the side the low hill at the edge of the clearing. From that hill protruded a great facade, its roof resembling the cap from above the door of the Forest Temple, four great columns holding it up with a doorway set into the shadows behind them. Those columns themselves stood upon a raised stone platform, a set of stair leading up to the centre of that great entrance way.

Six orbs of light descended, landing upon a flat hexagonal stone at the centre of the clearing. The temple's consecration stone, so clogged with moss that its symbol was hidden, though they could still tell that it was one. Standing there they looked across the tops of the waving grass, to where the images of three goddesses surrounding the Triforce was set into the flat triangle of the roof's front, a carving of the Master Sword hanging suspended, point down, over the carving of the sacred triangles.

They gazed upon the sight before them, the largest of the six smiling.

Darunia chuckled.

"If that's not the Temple of Courage, then _I'm_ a Forest Fairy."

Saria began to giggle.

"Can you imagine how big his wings would be if her were? They'd fill this whole clearing."

Five sages burst into laughter at the image, the elation of having found the temple so easily lightening their hearts.

...That light was crushed just a few moments later, as Impa's eyes pierced the shadows around the door and took a closer look.

"Now isn't the time to celebrate... We have a problem..."

The laughter was cut off, and joy turned to horror when they climbed the stairs and saw what the Sage of Shadow had seen. The doorway was filled with large chunks of fallen stone. Beyond the entrance the passage had collapsed...

Ruto placed a hand on one of the pieces, her expression thoughtful.

"It probably happened when the land rose. The land was so unstable then, I myself have had to fix a couple of small sections in my own temple. It's not that surprising that there might be damage here."

The sages glanced at one another, all of them having had to do at least _some_ repairs in their domains. It was now that the smallest of them spoke.

Saria approached the largest of the gaps among the rubble, squeezing through.

"I'm going to go take a look inside. We can't risk our power disturbing the collapsed area, so I'm the only one small enough to go."

Rauru's voice followed her into the collapsed passage.

"Be careful, Saria, and don't stay in there too long. Make sure you come out before nightfall, even if it means you must try again tomorrow."

"I will."

The girl began to crawl through the fallen blocks, the light from outside quickly fading and forcing her to light her path with the green glow of a tiny orb of her Kokiri magic rather than her sage powers. Forest magic was part of the land, and would do nothing to disturb her surroundings. Dust lay thick within the maze of tiny spaces, coating her with grey powder as she twisted and turned through them. When she reached the end of the passage, things didn't get any better.

She could tell that it had been a large chamber... once... by the much larger size of the pieces crammed together. There were whole great fragments of blue stone ceiling, still held together in places where they hadn't fallen free to drop to the floor of the same stone. The problem was she didn't think that the ceiling was originally _this_ low. She was barely four feet tall, and yet even she wasn't able to stand upright in the few clear areas. Bent over she began to follow the wall, a wall whose centre buckled inwards into the chamber. When she found a door halfway along the left hand wall, it too was buckled in the same fashion, completely impassable. She followed the walls around the entire perimeter of the square room, and found two other doors, on the far and right hand walls, to be the same. The room was a dead end; she could go no further beyond it.

It was about an hour after she'd first entered that she emerged again, her fellow sages waiting anxiously.

Seeing her, Rauru asked the question on all of their minds.

"Did you find anything?"

Saria shook her head, uneasy.

"Beyond the passage lies a large square chamber with three doors leading out of it, one on each of the other walls. All three were unusable, buckled like the walls themselves... Rauru, that place doesn't look like it collapsed... It looks more like it was _crushed_."

The sages looked at one another, the Sage of Shadow speaking.

"I guess it looks like we'll have to use the back doors. Let's hope they don't give Makar and Medli too much trouble."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Grr, why won't it open?!"

Makar kicked the wall within the stubborn door, the dull thud of boot hitting solid stone filling the room. He and Medli had gotten word from the other sages about the condition of the main entrance of the Temple of Courage, and now, nearly three days later, they were _still_ trying to get one of the Courage Doors open. They'd tried their sacred instruments, their prayer songs, pushing on the wall, knocking. They'd examined every inch of the stone frame itself, even the floor in front of it.

Medli sighed.

"We're missing something obvious, I know we are."

The Kokiri boy began to curse, letting out a string of language that if a child his apparent age had spoken, would have earned them a mouthful of soap. The irate sage then threw a blast of magic at the door, completely disregarding the fact that previous more careful blasts had rebounded off it.

The door chimed like a bell, the blast of magic bouncing off and making Makar's hair stand on end. The sound was a strangely familiar one, and it was only when the item in the sheath on Medli's back let out an identical chime that they remembered they'd brought it with them.

The two of them stared at each other, Makar looking rather bemused.

"I think 'obvious' was right... Give me the Master Sword."

The Rito girl handed the sundered blade to him, which he then held together and pressed against the wall within the doorway. A soft white glow radiated from the point of contact, fading away to leave the wall rippling ever so slightly.

She groaned.

"I can't believe we never thought of that before. She walked up to the door. "Well then, let's go in and speak to him... Huh?"

She'd just stuck her hand through the door, about to step through, but was stopped when her hand hit something less than eight inches beyond. A feeling of dread filled them both, as together they stuck their heads through the rippling wall only to come face to face with fallen chunks of blue stone ceiling. They looked up, and saw that no piece was higher than two thirds of the way up the door. This chamber, like the one near the entrance, had been crushed.

The two of them frantically sidled through the largest of the gaps in the fallen stone, finding remnants of shattered alcoves littering the floor, alcoves that in the vision a few days ago had once held many sacred items. Ducking around yet more fragments, they finally stumbled into an open space at the room's heart. There the symbol of the Triforce on the floor was smashed downwards like a crater... and in its centre lay the dried out corpse of a man dressed in blue and silver...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Buahahahaha! (Yes, I did it again.) Kudos to WingedWithFireyMana who, after the chapter where they found the broken sword, remembered that it has in fact already been mentioned in one of the Goddesses Scenes that Kaiayn... is dead.... Dun dun dun! And so what is gonna be a really fun sequence to write is about to begin!**


	69. Long Gone to Dust

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Wipes a tear from eye) Sniffles, poor guy.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 69: Long Gone to Dust

-

It was in solemn silence that the two sages flew over the forest, heading for where the power of their six fellows shone like a beacon, guiding them to the Temple of Courage. Neither of them had told the six that they had left the Earth Temple and were coming... Neither of them had had the heart to force the others to wait in shadowed despair while the two carried their burden to where they believed he deserved to be put to his rest.

Makar and Medli continued on with gritted teeth, the departed Sage of Courage carried in a sling between them. They saw the others look up in surprise as they came into view overhead, and saw the questions in their eyes as the pair landed.

It was then, for the second time in less than a week, that Medli imparted terrible news to her fellow sages.

"We got the door open, and went in, but..." She bowed her head, as expressions of hope turned to denial. "Kaiayn is dead... The sacred chamber of the Temple of Courage was crushed just like the room you found... He was in the middle, right in the centre of a crater smashed into the floor... The Balance destroyed the Temple, and would have destroyed everything he created to protect the world from evil, had he not sacrificed himself to shield them..."

Rauru found his voice, shaken to the depths of his sprit.

"How do you know what happened to him?"

Makar pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. It was protected by a preservation spell, but one so old that it flickered erratically, on the point of failing.

"He left a message. It was clutched in his hand when we found him. Here..."

The message was handed over, the Sage of Light reading it with a voice that trembled.

"'_The tide of the Balance is rising, rising to remove that which my interference has placed in this world. I knew this day would come, but I admit I never expected such fury to the force of the Balance. I have no choice but to take the blow. If I do not then the Sacred Realm, the Temples, and all the Sacred Items I have created to protect this world from evil will be destroyed. The Balance is one of action and consequence, of gift and price. If the world is to keep the gifts I have given it, then a price must be paid. I fear the price will be my life... You who would seek me, you whom the Triforce of Wisdom showed the creation of the Master Sword, know this. I deeply regret that whatever was your need that you would seek me, I am not there to aid you. Yes, I know that if you are reading this, then it means that I am dead... It is strange, that I who was once immortal and divine, brother god of the creators of this world, would look at death and the oblivion beyond without fear. While the souls of those born mortal may linger and watch over the living if they wish, there is no such for one born a god... However I fear not that my soul will cease to exist. I only regret that I will not be there in your time of need to help protect that which I once watched over... That is my greatest regret; that the God of Protection, in any form, should not be there to watch over that which he swore to. But still, there is my other regret, that I will not see my... The tide is coming! This is my final message...My Legacy may live on after my death. Seek my Legacy and you may find the help you need. I can say no more, the tide is coming. Farewell.'_ "

Saria brought her hands to her face, tears falling from her eyes.

" He sacrificed himself... to prevent the backlash of the Balance destroying what he had made to protect the world from evil."

The Gerudo woman beside her placed a hand on her shoulder, before looking around at her fellows.

"But what did he mean by his 'Legacy'? Did he leave some store of his power or knowledge for us to find?"

They remained silent, no one knowing the answer, and it was in that silence that they picked up the body of Kaiayn, and with their power created a grave for him. The stone slab capping it declaring to all that here lay Kaiayn, the Sage of Courage. He who gave his divinity and life to protect the future.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"So the Sage of Courage is dead? But..."

Tetra was stood in her study, Link as well, and before them was Rauru, the only one of the Sages who could face telling the queen this grave news.

"We buried him outside of the Temple of Courage, where we felt he would have wanted to be. All that remains is to tell the people. While it is something I'm sure you'd rather void, we the sages feel that the people must be told about Kaiayn's sacrifice... and what has happened to the Master Sword. We the sages will reassure them that there is nothing to worry about, and while there will be some unease, we are certain it will not dissolve into panic... Kaiayn deserves to have the people know what he has done for them, and for them to honour his memory."

Tetra took a deep breath.

"I'll send out word immediately... We'll hold a Ceremony of Remembrance in three days time. It's soon enough that thinking about it will give the people something else to focus on other than the sword."

Rauru bowed his head, before heading for the door.

"I will alert my fellow sages. Each of us will conduct the ceremony in our respective areas."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"People of Hyrule, this is a sad day for all of us. As was discovered just over a week ago, the Master Sword has been sundered. We learned at that time of its creator, Kaiayn, the Sage of Courage, and once God of Protection. Three days ago, after seeking out him and his temple, we discovered him dead. He died to protect the items he created, the temples he created, whose Sages have watched over you for so long, and continue to do so. He died to give the world hope, and hope is what we will continue to do until we succeed in restoring the Master Sword. But now is not the time to think of the future; now is when we remember the past..."

Tetra stood before the massed people, assembled in Hyrule City's market square. All those present were dressed in the black of mourning, not a single person without a tear in their eyes. The people of Hyrule, who as one had been protected by Kaiayn, now grieved as one for him.

As the ritual prayers of remembrance were spoken, as candles were lit and held aloft to guide his spirit to the peace of eternal rest, Aryll felt a wave of distant sorrow wash over her.

"The Goddesses are crying... They're sad, but they're also happy... The people now know about their brother, and what he did for the world..."

Link and Eidan put their arms around her shoulders, as the sky echoed those tears with ones of their own, rain beginning to fall.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Three figures watched, crystal droplets falling from their eyes and disappearing into the image before them. The tears of the gods falling as rain upon the world they had created. They remained in their vigil over that world, their mother watching from nearby with amber eyes as full of tears as their own as she whispered.

"My dear, Kaiayn'no, oh how I miss you... my son..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Poor Kyayna, her son is finally getting the recognition he deserves.**


	70. Asking Wisdom Again

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, I've had this one written for a while. :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 70: Asking Wisdom Again

-

_Where to look now? I guess it's worth a try..._

Tetra sat in her study, staring at her right hand. It had been three days since the Remembrance Ceremony. Three days since she had declared that on that day, every year henceforth, the people would remember Kaiayn's sacrifice. She'd just commissioned that a great hall be built a short distance from the city, and that in it each of Hyrule's greatest defenders and protectors would have their names enshrined to be remembered forever more. Link had just left for Outset, to prepare the empty vessel that had housed the soul of Daphnes Nohassan Hyrule for transport to be placed in that shrine. Eidan had gone back to Windfall, Darthan to Hyrule Castle Town, and Aryll had gone with Link with the intention of going up to the Hidden Library to search out names to go in the shrine as well. The Sages had all spent time at their temples, asking the spirits for clues about Kaiayn until they had each given up and decided that perhaps it would be best for them to allow themselves a chance to rest after the strains of the past few weeks. No reports other than the usual daily ones had come in today, and she'd dealt with them swiftly. That left her now with nothing to do but think, and speculate... and ask a certain item in her possession to see if it could help.

She stood up with her hand clenched as she focused her will and inwardly prayed that the Sages wouldn't be too angry at her doing this without them.

"Triforce of Wisdom, please show me what you can about Kaiayn's Legacy."

For a moment she thought nothing was going to happen, and then the symbol on the back of her hand blazed. She was hit by a nauseating wrench, and then she found herself on the outskirts of a small village that sat in the cradling embrace of a river valley. Happy shouts rang out here and there, of children and of people calling to each other as they ploughed the fields around the village. The air was filled with the scent of spring, and the sun shone down warm upon her head. She felt like she was truly here in this place, and maybe she was, but the people could not see her. If they could then the group of men dressed in farm slacks standing not three yards away from her would not have continued lazing against a dry stone wall chatting to one another.

"Another perfect day for ploughing, the Goddesses seem to be truly blessing us this year."

"Aye, in the weather at least. I don't fancy another of those earthquakes. That thing made Old Arno's mill collapse."

The group of men turned and looked towards the head of the valley, to where the river tumbled down from a rocky ledge. Set against that ledge was what was left of a mill with a water wheel. Regarding it, the first man spoke again.

"Well things happen, and at least no one was hurt. The women may not be too happy about grinding flour by hand, but with his sons helping him out Old Arno will have the mill up and running again before summer."

Murmured agreement drifted among them, before the men picked up the tools that were leaning against the wall beside them and headed off into the fields leaving Tetra standing there watching them go.

She frowned.

"What does weather, a flour mill, and an earthquake have to do with the Legacy?"

There was no reaction from the symbol on her hand, and no sign that she was about to be returned to her study, so she shook her head and walked towards the village itself. Maybe there she'd find what the Triforce of Wisdom wanted her to see. Mud daubed cottages, whitewashed and thatched with straw, came closer. The children she'd heard from a distance coming into view as they ran around playing 'tag' and 'hide and seek'. It was a happy scene, with women smiling at the children's antics as they tended herb gardens or carried baskets of laundry towards the nearby river to wash them. One young woman caught her eye though, and for one simple reason... She was the only one not smiling.

She was sat on a chair in the garden area at the front of a cottage, staring blankly into the distance with red rimmed eyes. It was clear she'd been crying, long and hard, the air about her holding an atmosphere of grief so deep that nothing might pierce it. Behind her the cottage door opened, an older woman coming to stand in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"Ira, stop your senseless moping. Sitting there all day for no reason at all, you should at least be doing some of the clothes mending!" The girl in the chair, Ira, said nothing. She didn't even blink when the woman strode up to her and gave her shoulder a shake. The woman frowned. "Silly girl, going up into those woods in your condition. They say that place leads people astray, so that they never pass through it in a straight line. No one has even seen its centre, and some say if someone ever does they'll leave cursed. Maybe that's what happened to you, cursed with sadness when there's nothing for you to be sad about. At least nothing but that a man used you and then left you, and that never seemed to bother you before you went up there the other day after the earthquake." Ira continued to stare off into the distance, causing the woman to shake her with greater force. "Dammit girl, what is wrong with you?!"

Still Ira didn't answer, the woman finally giving up and storming back into the cottage. As soon as she was gone, Ira sighed.

"How can you understand when I cannot even tell you what I know? How can you understand when I cannot even tell you that my husband is dead? A man that no one knows I married..."

She got up as Tetra watched, the blanket that had shrouded her shoulders falling away to reveal that she was heavily pregnant. Green eyes filled with sadness, she walked from the garden and headed down the road oblivious to all that went on around her, and as she did Tetra followed unseen behind. Ira walked to the river, crossing it at a deserted stretch where it flowed shallow over a bed of gravel. She walked on, further and further, until a rim of a forest on the slope of the valley side came into view. She kept going, even as shouts came up from the village in the distance as the woman back at the cottage realised that Ira was gone from the garden. She had just passed beneath the first of the trees when a group of villagers came into view behind, calling out for Ira to come back. As Tetra watched they ran under the trees after Ira, only to appear out of them again moments later some distance from where they'd entered. Too great a distance for them to have run it in that space of time.

Not knowing if the same would occur to her, Tetra ran after Ira to find that whatever stopped the villagers from following had no affect on her. It took her less than a minute to catch up to the woman, who had gone a surprising distance in the time Tetra had stood watching the villagers, and still she just kept walking. Walking until finally she stepped into a clearing that was gilded by the light of the sun. Seeing what lay within it, Tetra stopped in shock.

"The Temple of Courage..."

Indeed it was the temple, and even from here she could see that fallen stone blocked its entrance. Suddenly the earthquake made sense. The Triforce of Wisdom was showing her something that had happened not long after Kaiayn's death.

Ira walked up to the base of the entrance stairway, looking up at the columns with tears in her eyes.

"Why did you have to die? Why, Kaiayn?" With a sudden gasp and a moan she dropped to the floor clutching her stomach, her eyes widening with fear as she realised what was happening. Without thinking, Tetra rushed to her side, taking hold of a hand that she should not have been able to. Now aware of her presence, Ira regarded her. "How... How did you get in here? The Temple Forest is meant to keep wanderers out." She paused for a moment, eyes taking in Tetra's clothing. "Wait, you're not from the village, or any place I know. Maybe the spirits of the Temple knew I would be here at this time and guided fate so that I wouldn't be alone."

Ignoring the fact that once again the Triforce of Wisdom seemed to be defying the laws of time, Tetra settled Ira so that the girl could lean against her, comforting her as her body shuddered with each contraction that wracked her. There was no way that she could get Ira out of here, and given that only Ira had seen her, had been able to see her, it wasn't likely that the Triforce of Wisdom would allow her to move the girl from this clearing.

Stroking Ira's hair, Tetra sighed.

"My strange day seems to be getting stranger, but perhaps it _is_ fate that I'm here for you... My name is Tetra."

Ira looked up at her with a smile of gratitude.

"And I am Ira. I'm glad that you're here, Tetra. I think that it's important that you be here or else why would fate bring you to m..."

She was cut off as she gasped in pain, suddenly straining as the ground beneath her turned wet. Realising that the girl's waters had broken, and that she was starting to push, Tetra moved so that she was in place to catch the child that was about to be born. Her surroundings became blurred, as she focused on the task before her and urged Ira to keep pushing. Minutes passed that felt like hours, until a wail filled the air. Taking one of the underskirts that she'd removed from Ira when she'd first set about getting her comfortable, and using the sailor's knife from her belt, Tetra cut it in half and then cut another small strip from the edge. That strip tied off the cord between mother and child before she cut it, one half of the underskirt becoming the towel to clean off the baby and the other to be its first blanket. While she did this, she murmured to the new mother.

"You've got a fine little boy, Ira." Tetra picked up the squirming bundle, for the first time the light of the sun catching the child's head causing it to blaze white. The boy's head was covered in a mass of wispy hair the colour of spun silver; the eyes that opened blearily to peer about were the palest of green tinged amber. Her breath catching in her throat, Tetra stared at the boy with a sense of revelation before passing him into his mother's arms. Looking on at the adoring expression on Ira's face as she held her son, Tetra then looked at what she was certain beyond doubt was Kaiayn's 'Legacy'. "What are you going to call him?"

Ira paused for a moment before she looked up at her and smiled.

"Tekai... After you, and after his father... Thank you for being here for me, Tetra, when his father could not." A tear trickled down her face as she turned her head to look at the ruin inside the temple entrance. "...He never even got the chance to see him... Just once, was that so much to ask of fate? That he could see him just once?"

Tetra reached down, helping Ira to her feet.

"I know you're tired, but I don't know how long I can stay here. You need to get back to the village, to the people who care about you so much that they were willing to charge into a 'cursed' forest after you. I'll help you, while I can."

Supporting the new mother, Tetra guided her back towards the forest edge, back to where a handful of villagers waited in the approaching dusk for Ira to come back. It was no sooner than she got within arm's length of the edge that Tetra seemed to hit an invisible wall that would permit her to go no further.

Stepping aside from her, Ira regarded her once last time.

"So this is where fate would have us part. Thank you for being there for me, Tetra. Thank you, and farewell..."

With that Ira turned and walked out of the trees, the relieved cries of the waiting villagers greeting her and the child she carried, and then the view of this scene faded into shadows before Tetra's eyes. Another sudden lurch later, and she was back in her own time, stood in the middle of the castle courtyard. It could have been but a dream, but for the smears of blood on her hands, the dirt on her dress, and the leaves in her hair from the trek through that forest in the past. Small proofs that what she'd experienced was real, that it was no dream. Shouts went up, as people all around the courtyard dashed to her side, not least among them being Rauru.

"Lady Tetra, where have you been?! You've been missing for almost two days!"

She turned and looked at him in shock.

"Two days? But it's only been a few _hours_ since I asked the Triforce of Wisdom to show me what it could about Kaiayn's Legacy."

The sage stared at her, stunned.

"You asked it to... _Without telling anyone first?_"

He was angry, as she expected him to be under the circumstances, but what she said next wiped that anger from his face and replaced it with surprise. She smiled with success.

"But I found out what I asked about... Kaiayn's Legacy. I know what he was talking about in that message he left... Kaiayn died, but he left behind a son... Tekai..."

--------------------------------------------------------

**Alaia Skyhawk: And here we go into the fun bit!**


	71. Looking for Tekai

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, lots of info for the info starved readers! Hehehehe.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 71: Looking for Tekai

-

"Right, so this is what we've got to do. Kaiayn had a son called Tekai, and we need to find out where he is if he's still alive. It's a possibility, since he's the son of a Sage and former god, so we can't turn anything down as unlikely."

Tetra was in her study, the eight sages, Link, and Eidan all present. She'd explained what the Triforce of Wisdom had done, of her trip to the past and witness of Tekai's birth. Now lay the task of using what she'd learned to solve their current problem. That she knew the son's name was a real boost, and it seemed it was already going to help them.

Eidan tapped his fingers on the surface of Tetra's desk, his expression thoughtful.

"I've seen that name before, in one of the books in the Hidden Library. If I recall correctly, Tekai was a very influential man in Hyrule's early history. He was present at the coronation of the Kingdom's first true Queen, and was her advisor for many years before he left and vanished without a trace. I'll ask Aryll to find the relevant book since she's still on Outset right now. Perhaps it may give us some clues of where we might find him."

Ruto spoke up as well.

"I too have heard the name before. In Zora's Domain, in the deepest of the record caverns, there are carvings depicting a man with silver hair and amber eyes. The writing in that area is badly worn, but I'm sure it said his name was Tekai."

Makar's face lit up with inspiration.

"Why don't we all go and check our records. Saria and I can ask the Deku Tree if he knows of anyone by that name. Darunia can check the Gorons' record caverns, Ruto those caverns she just mentioned, and Aryll can check the hidden library! The rest can ask around the people, to see if any stories or legends have been passed down!"

Impa glanced at the young queen.

"I could check the old Sheikah Library. It's hidden in the Shadow Temple, and although I've never really perused the collection myself, I can't honestly say that there _won't_ be anything of use in there."

Nabouru nodded.

"I'll come and help you. The Gerudo have never been sticklers for recording things, so the chances we'll have anything on him are zero."

Rauru nodded as well.

"And I shall go to Outset to help Aryll. Eidan, if you would like to come with me. You know the Hidden Library well, and the search would go much quicker if you aided us with your experience. Link can remain here so a quick return is possible... If that's alright with him of course."

Link sighed.

"I'm not that pleased about it, but I'll do it. Aryll can pull you to Outset and I'll bring you back."

Tetra looked around at them all, her face determined.

"It's settled then. Let the search begin!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The stone hallway reverberated with heavy footfalls, a long line of Gorons tramping down a path long unused by their people. The path led to a chamber, where great blocks of stone had been erected to seal the entrance to the Record Caverns of their race's most distant past. Those caverns had been sealed to preserve them, to protect them from the corrosive vapours of the volcano which seeped from crevices throughout this part of the mountain. This would be the first time they had been opened since the day the first block had been laid into place.

Darunia walked at the head of the column of rock folk, the ball of scarlet light in his grasp lighting their way. Even as they entered the chamber, the vapour pitted surface of the sealing wall immediately became visible. Rock dust lay thick on the floor before it, and the walls to either side, the acidic mist which, while harmless for short periods of time, having eaten away at them over the millennia. The Fire Sage approached that wall, and with his power pulled several of the blocks out of the structure. They came away with shocking ease, causing him to frown.

"It's good that we've come here when we have. A few more centuries and this wall would have failed, the carvings beyond destroyed. We must rebuild this wall anew when we've completed the search."

One of them nodded.

"I'll arrange it immediately after the search."

Darunia and his fellow Gorons then walked through the opening he'd created, entering the elaborately carved passage behind it. The carvings themselves were slightly blurred, evidence of the corrosion that had led to this area being sealed off. The column split up into groups, each breaking off from the main one when a side passage was reached. Darunia himself was heading for the oldest part of the caverns, alone by the time he arrived in the low ceilinged vault.

Here was the story of the Gorons' beginnings, of the founding of their tribe in the first days of Hyrule. The carvings were of the sweeping views from the mountainsides, of his people glorying in their sudden existence, their awe of that bright new world. Other carvings depicted people seen from afar, Hyllians, whom the Gorons would have no direct contact with until almost a century after the world's creation... at least that is what he'd believed.

Expression stunned, eyes filled with wonder, Darunia stopped before one of the carved pictures. His people had used a very basic calendar back then, recorded by scribing a series of lines in certain ways, like a tally. According to the records outside of this place, the first contact between Goron and Hyllian had happened some eighty-seven years after the life had begun, and yet the panel before him was scribed with the date of the _twenty-sixth _year after Creation... and it had a Hyllian on it, standing beside a Goron, holding what was clearly the Spiritual Stone of Fire! A closer look at the worn carvings showed that Goron to be wearing a medallion with the crest of the Fire Temple upon it. He was the Ancient Sage of Fire...

_My predecessor trusted a Hyllian with the Spiritual Stone of Fire? Could it be?_

He looked above the carving, since it was easier for a Goron to write above a picture than to bend down and do so below it.

"'The first Sworn Brother to the Gorons, this Hyllian earned our trust and was held in highest regard by our protector, the Sage of Fire. Tekai came to our mountain and taught our people about the world beyond, and that only in friendship would times of darkness in the future be overcome. Quiet and humble, he asked that he be treated no different than any other, and later left the mountain to continue his journey to teach the people of the world.' Tekai was here, right at the start of our culture. He would only have been about twenty years old and yet he was out teaching the people..."

Looking at the carving one last time, Darunia moved off along the wall to see if he could find anything else.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

_So his name really was Tekai. So I remembered correctly..._

Ruto stood before a carved wall, deep within the maze of tunnels that was Zora's Domain. Water dripped somewhere off in the distance, a faint rivulet dampening the floor of this passage, but the sound was a trivial one as she read out the inscription below the image.

"'Tekai, trusted advisor to the First Queen of Hyrule, visited the Domain after her coronation, during the twenty-eighth year after Creation. He came to request alliance between Hyllians and Zoras, to protect the water source within the Domain, which in turn all of Hyrule depended upon. This alliance was agreed in the absence of the Water Sage, but received her blessing upon word of it being taken to her Temple beneath the great lake to the south. Upon the signing of the agreement, Tekai departed from our land and returned to his Queen with our friendship'... So it was Tekai who negotiated the alliance... Just how much of our important past was he involved in?"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Spluttering filled the small room, as a cloud of dust rose from yet another book as it was disturbed. Wiping her watering amber eyes, Nabouru peered blearily at the title on the cover only to find it was another census record. For a people as secretive as the Sheikahs, they were awfully good at keeping precise records of how many and where their people lived.

"Now I know why you've never 'perused the collection'. Most of these books are useless."

The nearby Sage of Shadow glanced at her, before turning her attention back to another book within this tiny shadowy library.

"My people are not well known for music or art, and festivals were reserved for only the most significant of occasions. We're practical, and loyal to those we would watch over. Naturally we would keep good records of our people, but as far as general history is concerned, we never really wrote anything down. Just the very important things, like when the Sheikahs swore fealty to the Royal Family in the thirty-second year after Creation. There's a copy of that particular record on the far top shelf to your left if you'd rather take a look at that."

Putting her current book back, Nabouru reached up to where Impa had described and found a single book lying flat on said shelf. It wasn't that big, barely as long as her hand and about as wide, only a finger's breadth thick and very light. Tilting it in her hands, the Spirit Sage blew the dust from the cover and opened it.

She read the first few pages, her expression showing an increasing level of disgust.

"You people really need to learn to write less formal. This thing is so bland for such an important event that it could send you to sleep. Even the descriptions of the witnesses are bland. When they describe the arrival of the Royal Party, before they learn who is who, the queen is described as 'a blond Hyllian female of twenty years age, blue eyes, wearing ankle length dress of grey with purple drape from the waist'. It's not until after that that you can tell her from her entourage. The 'older male Hyllian, age indeterminate due to white hair but no ageing lines' sounds more interesting than her."

Impa paused, before setting down her current book and striding over to her fellow sage.

"Give me that book."

She didn't wait for an answer, simply taking the book from Nabouru's grasp, causing the Gerudo woman to frown.

"Fine, but I don't see what's so interesting about it."

Impa eyed her reprovingly, before resuming flipping through the pages of the book.

"'Older male Hyllian, age indeterminate due to white hair but no ageing lines' is exactly how I would have described Kaiayn. If we assume his son resembled him, then the man with the Queen might have been Tekai. The Sheikah already knew back then that Hyllians were never born with white hair, at least not normally, so one with white hair, but young, would be described that way." She stopped at a page, a small smile of triumph on her face as she pointed to the entry on it. "List of attendees' names... One of them is 'Tekai: Advisor to the First Queen of Hyrule'. He's listed as the mediator between the Queen and the Sheikah, meaning he was the one who proposed and negotiated the whole thing..."

Nabouru leaned closer, looking at the entry.

"Now _that_ is interesting..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Two youths sat upon a giant lily pad, gazing into the eyes of the Great Deku Tree, whom they had just asked about Tekai. The look they got in return was thoughtful, as he mulled over the knowledge he'd inherited from the previous Great Deku Tree.

"I myself have never met anyone by that name, or that description, but the old Deku Tree _did_ meet a man with 'silver hair and amber eyes'... His name wasn't Tekai though, it was Raiu. It happened almost two centuries after Creation, and if Tekai were born when you said then he would have been more than a hundred and eighty years old by then. No, the man who came to the previous Tree was definitely no more than twenty, he just didn't have the aura of age about him to be older than that. As for why he came... An accident had caused the death of the Ancient Sage of Forest, and he'd come bringing word of it from the Royal Family since all six sages had been in residence at Hyrule Castle at the time. He brought the Spiritual Stone of the Forest with him, and entrusted it to the Deku Tree until the day came when a new Forest Sage would arise and be tasked with protecting it. Raiu was a very important man, and the Forest Fairies who explored beyond the forest brought me many tales of his deeds in guiding the Kingdom down the path of peace and prosperity... Come to think of it, they told the old Deku Tree about dozens of men just like him, but of different names and slightly varied appearance, over the many centuries before the Pre Unification War. They stopped wandering after that, too afraid to leave the forest, so I myself never got to find out about any new ones there might have been after that."

Makar and Saria looked at each other, the former speaking.

"It looks like Kaiayn's Legacy is more than just his son... It's a whole line of descendants continuing his work, guiding and protecting the people. All of them with his silver hair and amber eyes."

The Kokiri girl nodded in agreement.

"Which means it's not Tekai we're looking for, but someone amongst the present day population who looks like him..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Once again a queen, her champion, her advisor, and eight sages gathered in her study, sunlight pooling on the floor from the open window that overlooked the city beyond the castle walls. They were gathered around the large table that had been set up in the room, that surface covered with a mass of notes, documents, and other pieces of paper and parchment bearing scribbled quotes and other things. This was the sum of over a month of dedicated searching, a collection of information that depicted just what Makar and Saria had realised, they weren't looking for Tekai, but someone descended from him. All indications showed that the line was consistent in that each generation continued to have silver/white hair, although eye colour had varied from time-to-time, returning to amber again after a couple of generations. The Hidden Library, and the record caverns of the Gorons and Zoras had turned out to be the proverbial gold mines, with an almost continuous succession of influential men being traceable all the way back to the first, Tekai.

Tekai himself vanished from the records just ten years after he had appeared, replaced by a man named Feruin twenty-five years later. After that there were three others, then Raiu, the one who had visited the old Great Deku Tree, before continuing on through the centuries. They had a problem though, and it was one thing in particular... The Pre Unification War.

Tetra sighed.

"We've hit a dead end. All records after the Pre Unification War make no mention of anyone matching the description of Tekai's descendants, and after searching the present day population of the kingdom we know that there is no one matching that description either. While there are plenty of white haired people, they're either Rito, who have Sheikah ancestors, or Hyllians with one in their lineage somewhere. That leaves just one explanation... His descendants, like many other families, left Hyrule at the time of the Pre Unification War. That means that searching within our own borders is pointless."

Rauru looked around at those assembled.

"Lady Tetra and I have already discussed this at length, and I agree with her reasoning. While Hyrule, as the land where the door to the Sacred Realm lies, will always be the main target for evil, the Temples and the Sacred Items serve to protect the entire world. Thus there is no reason why Tekai's descendants may not have left these lands and settled in a neighbouring region. They would be close enough to step in if needed, but out of the way should another war crop up. With this in mind I've recommended that we send searchers to the Ice Lands, and to Termina, and Tetra informs me that there is land not too far to the west as well, although she doesn't know if anyone lives there. We propose to send a team in that direction as well."

The young queen brought out a map; one where the Islands of Hyrule were just a scattering of speckles in the centre of a vast expanse of water. Water which was bordered by a continuous span of land which curved from Termina in the east, to the Ice Lands in the north, and finally to the lands in the west.

"I've borrowed Scout Gerril from Mayor Darthan, and will be sending him with my crew on the Sea Spirit. They'll be going west, to the unexplored lands, and taking the Royal Gossip Stone with them since I can boost its range with the Triforce of Wisdom."

Link leaned over, pointing to the eastern area of land.

"I have the fastest ship, so will be going to Termina, which is the furthest away from here, and will keep in touch via my father, who will be staying here. That leaves the Ice Lands; I've spoken to Zunari about them, and they're very friendly up there. Given that danger is unlikely, I'm going to ask Linebeck if he'll take a search team up there on his ship. I'm pretty certain I can talk him into it, though keeping in touch with them is going to be a problem."

_Not if I go with him, it won't..._

Link and Eidan stiffened, the latter frowning at the voice in his head.

"Aryll... What have I told you about eavesdropping?"

The two of them felt a mental shrug.

_It was important, and seeing as I helped to search the Library I thought I would listen in to see how the search was going... C'mon, Dad! If Link can go around saving the world when he's just eleven, then I can go on a simple exploration trip to a friendly nation at thirteen!_

There was a stubborn note in her 'voice' that told her father she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

He sighed.

"Fine, if Linebeck agrees, you can go with him, Aryll. But you're to contact me _every day!_"

As the teenage girl's victorious whooping filled her father and brother's minds, Tetra leaned on the edge of the table and smiled.

"So it's settled. Link will go to Termina, Gerril and my Crew to the Western Shore, and if he obliges, Linebeck and Aryll will go to the Northern Ice Lands..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: YAY! Side stories for everyone! I'm so looking forward to writing these :D**


	72. Setting Sail for Distant Shores

**Alaia Skyhawk: FUN!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 72: Setting Sail for Distant Shores

-

It was with a feeling of anticipation that the young hero walked out through the gate onto Lesser Gate Street, walking on past his house to another several doors down from it. He knew the occupant was home, since if he wasn't on his ship or sailing it, it was because he was either at the castle or sleeping in the house Tetra had given him as a thank you for past help and as part payment for him shipping stuff around the Inner Sea for her. When Link reached the house and looked through the front window, true to form the occupant was sprawled on the couch snoring his head off.

Glancing up at the fairy that, after spending the last few months hanging around with his sister had come back to him, Link pointed to the upper section of the window... which was open.

"Do you want to do the honours, Navi?"

The Forest Fairy let out a wicked little chuckle, before flying in through the open window with a grin on her face... Three seconds later Linebeck was screaming like a little girl.

"AHH!! RABID FAIRY! GET IT OFF ME!!"

Navi did just that, and let go of the ear that she'd grabbed and twisted to wake him up, before flying to the front door and opening it from the inside to let Link in.

He smiled at the steamship captain as he closed the door, chuckling.

"Works every time. Though Navi is better at it that Ciela was... or maybe it's just because she's a bit more violent when it comes to twisting your ears. Though there _was_ that one time that Ciela bit your finger when you waved it at her."

Linebeck began to grumble.

"I hate fairies... Little pests..."

Navi smirked at him.

"The feeling is mutual..."

Hero and fairy began to laugh, as Linebeck sighed.

"I give up. So, Kid, what are you here for? You wouldn't sick that pest on me if it wasn't important."

Link smiled innocently.

"Oh nothing, it's just that Tetra wanted me to ask you if you'd ship some passengers for her. She'll pay your costs and give you a hefty bonus for it."

The captain's expression became suspicious.

"I don't like the sound of this... Just how far is she wanting me to carry them in my ship?"

The hero shrugged.

"Only to the Ice Lands and back again..."

"WHAT?! ONLY?!! _THAT'S A NINE MONTH TRIP!!_" He began to back away. "No way! I am _not_ doing it!"

Link sighed.

"But it's just the Ice Lands. No monsters, no evil life sucking mist. Just you, two Zoras, a Rito, and my sister going to visit the Ice Folk. You've met Zunari, haven't you? The Ice Lands are where he's from. He's even given us the name of the port where his family lives. Give them his name and they'll greet you with open arms." He walked over to the captain, nudging him with an elbow. "C'mon, you stabbed Bellum for cripes sake and pulled through being possessed by him. What's a little trip up north compared to that?"

After a moment's pause, Linebeck's shoulders slumped.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into these things..."

Link's pat on the back nearly knocked him over.

"Great, I'll go tell Tetra and get the supplies loaded onto your ship. The Zoras and Rito are ready to go, and everyone else is packed as well. We'll all be leaving on the morning tide!"

Linebeck jerked upright.

"We? Are you coming on my ship as well?"

Link paused on his way to the door, looking back over his shoulder.

"No, I'm going east on the Red Lion, to Termina, and the Sea Spirit is going west, to the Western Shores. Three ships are heading out tomorrow, you got the easy trip."

Linebeck gaped at him, and continued to gape until long after the door had closed behind him.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"What are you doing to my engine?! Hey! Bird Boy! What are you doing?!"

Komali stopped what he was doing, his right arm still inside the steamship's burner as he looked up at an irate and anxious Linebeck.

"I'm using my piece of the Triforce to spell preserve all the parts so that it can't break down while you're out there. I'm spelling the charcoal you have in the burner as well, so that it will burn indefinitely. You can just set it alight and put it out as usual, but you'll never have to replace it. You're taking the direct route north, not island hopping to pick up fuel as you go, so to get there and back will only take about _six_ months, not nine. One thing less for you to complain about. Tetra's spell preserved all your food, and she's even made some special funnels for putting water into your water barrels. Just pour sea water through them and they'll remove all the salt and stuff. Pure fresh water without ever having to set foot on an island. Great huh?"

Linebeck looked on the verge of having a nervous breakdown from exposure to all these strange things, and it was only Aryll's arrival in the lower cabin that gave him something less freaky to think about.

She looked about the room.

"So where am I sleeping?"

The captain moved away from the engine, pointing beyond two hammocks to a blanket strung across the back of the room on a rope.

"Behind that. The hammock is already hung back there, and there's a travel chest to put your clothes in. Me and some Rito called Hierin are sleeping in those two. The two Zoras said they'll sleep up on deck where it's damp."

She smiled and headed towards the blanket.

"Sounds fine to me." She stopped and turned slowly to look back at him. "But if I ever catch you peeking at me you are going to _get it!_"

It was a very scared captain who scuttled up the stairs to the deck to get away from her...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A song echoed out over the water, ethereal voices stirring the air as the Windwaker was swept through it. The song complete, Link pointed the baton to the north, the wind twisting to blow strongly in that direction.

"Time to go!" He looked across to the Sea Spirit on his right, to where Gerril was stood with Gonzo, Niko, and the rest of its crew. "I can't change the wind for the whole sea, so beyond the borders of Hyrule you're at its mercy. A wind to the north will let the two of us make good time to the borders, but after that I can only help my own ship. You take care of yourselves, you hear me?"

Gerril laughed.

"We will, and at least this ship is big enough that I don't get sea sick on her. Not that that boat I was on when we met."

Link laughed as well before looking out to the other side of his ship at Linebeck and Aryll.

"You've got it lucky, Linebeck. Your ship doesn't need the wind to move. Aryll, you keep an eye on him for me, and make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

She grinned, dressed in green just as her brother was, although her outfit was more of a dress and leggings than a tunic and those. She had a quiver strung across her back, and the bow her brother had loaned her in her hand.

"I will. Have a safe trip, Big Brother!"

Everyone on the three ships then turned to look at those stood on the royal pier, Tetra, Eidan, Komali, Medli, and all the other sages looking back at them.

Tetra smiled up at them.

"Good luck to you all, and may the Goddesses watch over your journeys." She pointed at the open sea. "Now for heavens sake get going or you'll miss the tide!"

There was laughter in her voice as she said it, and those around her began to wave their goodbyes. With a jaunty salute Linebeck had dashed down into the cabin of his ship, the SS Linebeck pulling away from the pier just a few seconds later and turning north. Sails were hauled up the masts of the two other ships, the Red Lion easing away and ploughing towards the East Passage as the slower Sea Spirit crossed behind it to follow the steamship, the people on the pier watching those carrying their hopes depart.

A few days later found them all taking one last look at the islands that were their home. The crew of the Sea Spirit watching the Desert Island of Gerudo fade away to the north of their path, those on the SS Linebeck watching Gale Isle fade to the south, and those on the Red Lion bidding farewell to Hyrule as Thorned Fairy Island disappeared among the waves behind them.

Link watched it go, before pulling a white baton out of his tunic.

He waved it, turning the wind around the ship to blow east, as with a grin of anticipation he reached for the first of three release ropes...

_I have more than twice as far to go than the others... Time to use my special sail again, I think..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Ah! The Writing Bug is BACK! I must continue! I don't wanna stop! XD**


	73. Lands of Ice

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Can't talk, is enjoying self too much) :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 73: Lands of Ice

-

Breath steamed from mouths into icy air, vast chunks of ice floating in the water as the steamship drifted past, the sound of its engine echoing across the water and bouncing back from those frozen monoliths. Land rose from the sea ahead, spanning from horizon to horizon to the north of them. The Ice Lands were just as Zunari had described them, a soaring wall of ice that bordered the sea, which crumbled in places releasing the icebergs that guarded those shores against all but those who knew the safe routes where they never drifted, backed by snow covered mountains. Thanks to him those on the SS Linebeck knew one such route, and using the scattering of tiny islets further out as a reference they were now safely gliding through the calm waters towards a point where the glacial walls gave way to rocky shore, and the distant glow of firelight through windows and the blur of wood smoke on the wind revealed the presence of a settlement.

Looking towards it as he stood on deck, and also at the icy walls they'd just passed, Linebeck mulled over the sight.

"It reminds me a little of the Isle of Frost, back in the World of the Ocean King. There were these people called the Anouki living there, and they looked like big blue penguins with walrus-like faces and big black eyes, surrounded by a big furry ruff like Zunari's hood, with a pair of antlers on top... They were pretty weird, and to be honest they were pretty dense. You could ask them something and all you'd get in return was either 'huh? What's that?' or a completely unrelated comment."

Aryll, who was wrapped up in a thick coat beside him, chuckled.

"Link told me about them. He described them as being the victims of blissful ignorance. They weren't stupid or anything, it's just that few things really bothered them enough for them to bother knowing about them. Why know something that would make you worry, when you can not know and be happy?"

The captain nodded.

"That sounds like the Anouki alright." He turned and headed for the door to the cabin stairs. "Well I'd best get back below. Warn me if any chunks of ice drift in front of us as we head in to that town, ok?"

The young girl watched him go.

"Sure."

She remained there on deck, watching as the town came closer. By the time they were nearing the pier they'd been spotted, and a number of people wearing thickly bundled coats with large fur trimmed hoods were waiting there to see who it was visiting their frozen lands. She didn't wait for the ship to stop when it came in beside the pier, instead leaping from the deck to the wooden surface as she would have back home. Her landing wasn't as graceful though.

A startled exclamation rang out, as her booted feet hit ice covered wood and flew out from under her. She was still sprawled on the floor when one of the waiting people came over and helped her up.

"Are you alright? You're lucky you just fell over, you might have slid right off and into the water jumping off your boat like that."

Aryll winced a little as she was pulled to her feet.

"I forgot about the ice. Back home it never gets cold enough to freeze sea water, so the piers are never more than wet." She began to brush herself off, before offering a gloved hand to the man who had helped her. "My name is Aryll, and the others in the crew of the ship are its captain, Linebeck, a Rito called Reshan, and two Zoras, Flin and Gre. We've come here looking for clues about some special people we're trying to find. Zunari was the one who told us how to find this town. He said he was from here."

The response was immediate, with a woman pushing her way through the people on the pier to get close to the visiting girl.

"You know my son? He's alive? We haven't heard from him in so long that..."

The hyllian girl smiled, reassuring her.

"I know him. He owns a shop on Windfall Island back in Hyrule. My brother is his business partner."

The woman regarded her for a moment, before bustling to her side and shooing the man out of the way.

"That settles it then, you and your friends can stay at my home while you're here. My name is Mizari. I'd introduce you to the Chief but he's not in the town right now. Still we'll help in what ways we can."

By this point the ship was moored, Linebeck and Reshan tossing three large bags down before making a more careful descent onto the pier than Aryll's. The two Zoras showed themselves briefly before disappearing beneath the water again. They'd not left it for almost three weeks, the open air being too cold for them. They stayed in the water where it was warmer, and where they were protected from frost. Right now they were probably heading for the deepest part of the sea nearby, as far from the freezing air as they could get until time came for them to head back to Hyrule.

Picking his own bag up, Linebeck handed Aryll hers as the Rito behind him began to shiver as he draped a thick blanket around himself.

"That's very kind of you, Mizari. Now if we could get moving. Reshan can't wear a thick coat because of the feathers on his arms, and that blanket only works so well to keep him warm out here. He hasn't been able to fly for a couple of weeks now since it got so cold his arms were seizing up from it when he tried."

Mizari brought a hand to her face.

"Oh dear me, we can't have him freezing to death out here. Come with me right now and I'll get you nice and warm back at my cottage."

She darted over to Reshan and took firm hold of his shoulder, leading him down the pier as the rest of the icelanders headed back to their own homes. She bustled the group down a wide street, its centre marked with sledge tracks, eventually leading them into one of the low walled, snow capped cottages that lined it. Once inside she immediately sat Reshan by the fire, gesturing for Linebeck and Aryll to do likewise as she then headed for a small wood stove in the corner.

The Rito loosened his blanket, rubbing his arms to warm them.

"Thanks."

The icelander woman dismissed his thanks with a waved hand.

"Oh it's alright. No thanks are needed. No one in this town would let a visitor freeze, it's just common courtesy." She turned, three bowls in her hands, filled from the pot on the stove. "Now, have some of this. Moose stew is a certified way to warm a person up, and my recipe is well known up here. Not that I'm bragging."

Aryll giggled, accepting an offered bowl. Taking a mouthful, she raised her eyebrows before swallowing.

"Wow, this is good. Now I see why Zunari always says you're a good cook. He's always making things to 'mother's recipe' and then saying that it's never as good when he makes it than it is when you do."

The woman smiled, removing her hooded coat now that she'd gotten her guests settled.

"That certainly sounds like my son. He's always been humble. He never even boasted when he won the annual sled race two years before he left. He's always been a quiet one, but that's why people like him." She took the coats from Aryll and Linebeck, taking them with her own and hanging them over a tray near the door where the melting snow that clung to them would drip into it and not onto the floor. "Now then, I'll go sort out somewhere for you to sleep. It will be piles of blankets on the floor, but you'll be warm and that's what matters."

With that she left the room through a nearby door, passing it again a few minutes later almost buried under the pile of blankets she was carrying.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Dim morning light crept in through the tiny windows in the thick walls, frost patterning the glass like delicate filigree that would vanish when warm fingers touched it. Aryll walked down the narrow hallway between the living room and those behind, stopping at the end to peer through a rough wooden door where she could hear strange sounds. Snuffling could be heard, amid the rustling of straw, and walking in she was greeted by a chorus of quiet yips as several large bushy furred dogs rushed over to her with tails wagging. They looked a lot like wolves, but were certainly friendlier than the canines they resembled.

"They're sled dogs." Aryll turned to find Mizari standing in the doorway that led from this stable-like room to the rest of the cottage. Amusement in her dark eyes, she smiled between the dark braids that framed her face. "We use them to pull the small fast sleds that carry small or important things and people between our settlements during the coldest months. They're light enough that they don't get bogged down in the snow like our bison, which we use in the warmer months and for the heavy sleds." She knelt down, the dogs crowding around her, tails wagging as she petted them. "We also use them for the Great Sled Race. Any person who wishes to, and who has a dog team and sled to use, can enter. They travel all the way from Ice Point, a stone needle a few miles from here that stands almost sixty metres tall, and the Glacial Shrine, which is halfway up one of the mountains north of here. It's almost a hundred miles, which is why the Chief isn't here right now. He left yesterday for the shrine, and will be there with the other village chiefs to greet the race winner. The race begins at dawn three days from now, and the racers run until they reach the shrine in one long sprint. I'd thought to enter it myself, but I've decided not to. I was never as good at it as my son, and it's just not the same without him here."

She got up, petting the ears of her dogs as Aryll watched.

"You really miss him, don't you..."

Mizari nodded sadly.

"I do, but now that I know he's happy in Hyrule, I'm fine." She turned, her manner becoming brisk as she smiled. "Well then, do you want to help me feed them? I'll take you out on a short run in the sled if you do."

The blond girl was quick to answer.

"Sure!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was a snow speckled and breathless Aryll who entered the cottage two hours later, coming face to face with the sight of Linebeck and Reshan sat at a table flipping through books with very thick pages.

The Rito looked up as she entered, and answered the question he saw on her face.

"They're books about these peoples' history. We asked one of Mizari's neighbours about it, and they went to the Chief's wife. She came by just after that and loaned us these."

Linebeck grimaced, turning another page in the book he held.

"They're made of walrus hide... and they stink. But still, we've gotten some useful information from them."

Aryll hurried over, her eyes hopeful.

"You have?"

Reshan picked up a book that was lying open on the table, handing it to her.

"Tekai... He visited here, and if I've worked out the dates right it was about two years after he vanished from the records back in Hyrule. He apparently stayed for a few weeks, and then left again without a trace. We were given that book because the Chief's wife recognised the description of white hair and amber eyes, but she's never heard anything of any others like him who have been here. There's no sign of anyone like him in the books of the history after the Pre Unification War, so it looks like his descendants never came up here."

Aryll frowned.

"Well we still have the Deku Scrubs to ask. Zunari said there was a forest near his hometown where they live; deep in a sheltered valley."

Linebeck looked suitably creeped out.

"You want us to go talk to the Scrubs? Are you mad? Those things are crazy suspicious of other races no matter where live!"

The blond girl smiled secretively, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe I can do something to convince them..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehehe, man I can't wait to do the next one!**


	74. Meeting the Deku

**Alaia Skyhawk: lol, I love this bit. I've been looking forward to freaking Linebeck like this for a while XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

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Chapter 74: Meeting the Deku

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Two figures tramped through the trees, silence surrounding them but for the occasion clump of snow falling from a branch to the forest floor. It was dark beneath the eaves of this forest, the valley sides cutting off the icy winds of these lands and leaving this place surprisingly warm by comparison to nearby town. Here there was just a light frost on the ground, and trails suspiciously cleared of leaves.

Aryll eyed their surroundings.

"We're close. There's a whole section in my ancestor's journals about the Deku Scrubs, and he noted that they only make paths like these in areas they use a lot. They don't like disturbing nature around where they live, and keep everything they do to a minimum, living close together, in as few buildings as possible."

"Halt! Who goes there?!" The two of them stopped in their tracks as the squeaky high voice of a Scrub pierced the air, said Scrub charging out of some nearby bushes. It wasn't the usual bright green or orange of the Scrubs her ancestor had seen, being dark green and silvery grey like the forest around them, but other than that it looked the same. It scowled at them. "These lands belong to the Frost Deku! Leave immediately!"

Aryll took a step forward, bowing respectfully.

"We are here on behalf of our queen, and hail from the lands of Hyrule. We simply seek to ask if you might know of, from the past or the present time, any hyllians with white hair and amber eyes."

The Scrub paused for a moment, before squeaking angrily.

"Why you are here doesn't matter! These lands belong to the Frost Deku! Leave immediately!"

Linebeck leaned over and whispered furtively.

"It _isn't_ working... So much for convincing them."

Aryll sighed.

"Ah well, I guess I'll have to use it after all..."

Both the captain and the Scrub looked at her confused.

"Huh?"

She undid her coat and reached inside it, pulling out a wooden mask.

Linebeck gaped in bemused silence, as the Scrub snorted.

"If you think such a simple thing would fool us you are wrong! Having the face of a Deku will not gain you entry."

The girl laughed.

"Who said it would just be my face?" She lifted up the mask and put it on, light flaring where she stood. When it faded there was a green and gold female Deku Scrub standing where a Hyllian girl had been moments before. She batted her red-gold eyes at the Scrub coyly. "Will you _please_ help us? All we want is for your people to answer a few questions for us."

The Scrub stared at her in shock for a moment, before beginning to stutter.

"But... But... These lands... belong... Uhh... sure..."

It was gaping at her the way a teenage boy gapes at a pretty girl, and it seemed she was having the same effect on the Scrub as said girl. Linebeck was also gaping, but not for the same reason.

"Now that is just scary... How the heck did you do that?!!"

Deku Aryll, who was now much shorter than him, shrugged.

"Just a little item my ancestor picked up while he was in Termina. He got cursed and turned into a Deku, and the magical song that cured him turns curses like that into masks. Once a mask, it can be put on and removed at will."

The captain took a step back.

"I uh... Your family is _really_ strange..."

She shrugged again.

"You'll get used to it." She turned her attention back to the nearby drooling Scrub. "Will you show us to your Chief? We really need to speak with him."

The Scrub nodded dumbly, before turning and heading off down the path with Aryll and Linebeck following behind. The next few Scrubs they crossed paths all reacted to 'Deku Aryll' the same as the first, and by the time they reached the brightly patterned walls of a small wooden fortress of sorts she had an entourage of about twenty of them leading her.

When they stopped at the gate, the captain leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Why are they acting so friendly now?"

She muttered back.

"Probably because all of the Scrubs we've met so far are boys... I think I must be quite the looker by their standards, and I seem to have picked up a few admirers. At least only one of them has seen me as a Hyllian, and he's so struck dumb by my beauty that I think he's forgotten it. If they think I'm a Deku who happens to have a 'trusted hyllian' as an escort, their chief will probably be _very _helpful." She then kicked him. "Just keep your mouth shut. The less you say the easier this will be."

The gates before them opened, the Scrub 'escort' all urging the pair to go in. Inside the courtyard within all movement came to a stop, as male Scrubs of all ages gawked at the pretty newcomer, several earning a slap round the back of the head from the females they were with. A bustle of movement came from the top of a stairway leading to the largest of the buildings within the walls, a rather proud looking and well groomed Deku heading down them to stop before the visitors.

It bowed slightly, speaking in a respectful tone.

"This is the fortress of the Frost Deku. What brings such a fine lady to our lands," his head turned slowly to regard the man beside her with disgust, "and in such company?"

Aryll daintily folded her now leafy hands in front of her, tilting her head in a way that had the nearby boys' hearts aflutter.

"I am Aryll, trusted friend of the queen of my homeland. She has sent me to these lands seeking to find out anything about a special Hyllian or his descendants who once lived in our lands. They were highly regarded by my people, and were trusted as much as family. We have need of their help in an important matter, and no one but them will do." She glanced at Linebeck. "As for him... well I needed _someone_ to be my servant, and it's so much easier to enter ports by ship when you have a Hyllian as the 'captain'. Sad as that is."

Once again Linebeck was staring at her in shock, although this time it was indignant.

"Now wait a minute..."

She kicked him again, this time a _lot_ higher, causing him to double over with a squeak much like one of the Deku.

"Bad servant! Never answer back to your master!" She shook her head. "Hyllians... Ones like him may have their uses, but they also have big mouths. Oh if only the Silver Haired Hyllians who helped us so long ago were here. Such eyes, as gold as a sunset, fitting enough to be eyes to grace a Deku."

The proud Scrub startled a little.

"A golden eyed, silver haired Hyllian? We have stories about a Hyllian like that, passed down. He was very much respected by our ancestors, and visited these lands a long time ago."

Aryll went all dewy eyed, her expression pleading.

"You've heard of one of them? Please you must tell me what you know! I've travelled so far to find them." She began to sniffle theatrically. "My home depends on me finding them... If I don't then..."

She stopped, wiping tears from her eyes as the Deku around them, male and female alike, murmured in sympathy.

The Deku on the stairs bowed to her again.

"Such a brave lady to face such a hard journey for her people. I will take you to our chief; he knows all of our stories about the silver haired Hyllian."

The Scrub turned, leading Aryll and Linebeck up the stairs and into the building as a large number of disappointed Deku watched her disappear from sight. Inside the building the number of Deku was far fewer, and most were busy enough that they only gawked at her for a moment before hastily continuing what they were doing. Throughout this Aryll was walking as daintily as a princess, while the captain shuffled painfully along behind.

They entered a fairly large room, painted like every other wall in this place in bright geometric patterns. At its far side, beyond a carefully shielded fire that lit the chamber, sat a very large Deku on a simple throne.

Following her guide towards that throne, Aryll tripped Linebeck up to sprawl several feet away before stopping much closer than that to the throne and curtsying gracefully.

"Your Majesty..."

Her guide spoke.

"Sire, this is the Lady Aryll. She has come on behalf of her queen, seeking the descendants of the Silver Haired Hyllian. They once helped her people, and were as highly regarded by them as the Silver Haired Hyllian was by our ancestors. Her home depends on her finding them, and she has requested we tell her whatever we might know about them so that she might find them."

The Chief leaned forward and regarded her, a note of respect in his voice.

"I cannot ignore such efforts, certainly not from people who regard the Silver Haired One as highly as we do. I will tell you what I know, although it is not much." He settled back in his throne. "The Silver Haired Hyllian came to our lands not that long after the Golden Goddesses created our world. We had had many disputes with the Hyllians living nearby even in that short time, and so had no reason to greet any who might approach us. The Silver Haired One was different though. He walked among us, healing the injured with a touch, and told us that he had come to our land to hide part of an important secret. It was to be separated into two parts, the Glacial Shrine to the north, which would be watched over by the Hyllians, and the key which would open the secret inner door _within_ that shrine. That key was entrusted to us, with the word that one day someone would come seeking him or his descendants, for the sake of a distant land."

Aryll looked up at him, surprised.

"He knew we would look for him?"

The chief nodded gravely.

"He said they would, and instructed us to give them the key." He reached beneath his many leaves, pulling out a small metal disk hung on a chain. "Here is the key; I would that you have it as we were instructed. There is one matter that I cannot help you with though, and that is entering the shrine. The Hyllians hold a race every year, and only the winning pair is allowed to enter the shrine, to carve their names upon a stone they Hyllians set within it. The race is to be held in two days, and they only way you will be able to enter is if you can convince one of the drivers to carry _you _instead of their partner in their sled. I am sorry we could not help you more."

Aryll reached up and took the key as he held it out to her, clutching it close and bowing her head.

"Your help is more than enough, your Majesty. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone among the Hyllians who will help me."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe, need I say more?**


	75. The Great Sled Race

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Scratches head with embarrassment) Um... wow... this is the 9th chapter I've written this weekend... The Writing Bug really got me... really really got me... (Sweatdrops)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 75: The Great Sled Race

-

"Now lean to the left!"

Eight sprinting dogs whipped around a tight bend to the right, Aryll leaning left to stop the sled from flipping over as Mizari continued to instruct her from her seat inside the sled. Aryll and Linebeck had come back from the visiting the Deku late the previous afternoon, and this morning was the last chance the girl would have to practice driving the sled before the dogs would have to be rested ready for the race tomorrow. Aryll had asked Mizari if she would enter the race and take her as the passenger, but the woman had refused, explaining that if outsiders were to enter the shrine then it had to be by winning the race on their own. All she'd been able to do was offer her sled team and to teach as much to the girl as possible in the short time they had.

The track became straight again, the blond girl urging the dogs onwards over the undulating terrain.

"Thanks for helping, Mizari. I really appreciate it."

The woman in the sled smiled.

"While you may not have any experience at dog sledding, you've got a lot of courage to throw yourself at the challenge for the sake of helping your people back home. That's what this race is about, courage. Having the courage to face the dangers before you and keep going. I won't lie to you, this race _is_ dangerous. People have _died_ attempting it, but proving yourself so that you can place your name in the Glacial Shrine is why our people do it, to remember Tekai and what he taught us when he entrusted us with protecting it. I'm surprised about the Deku though. We never had any idea that he'd tasked them with a similar purpose."

Aryll leaned again, as the sled made another sharp turn around a rock.

"He was the son of a guy who was once the God of Protection, of course he'd go to a lot of trouble to keep what secret he hid in that shrine safe... whatever it is..." She gripped the handles of the sled, as the snow swept past beneath it. "I'm going to win that race tomorrow, for everyone I care about, and for all of Hyrule and the world. Just watch me do it!"

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Barks and yelps resounded through the crisp air, the cold wind blowing past the teams of excited dogs and the men and women who would be riding in or driving the sleds the canines were tethered to. Crowds of people in the distinctive thick hooded coats of the icelanders lined either side of the starting line, the huge stone spire known as Ice Point towering above them. Aryll stood behind her sled, right on the end of the left side of the starting line up.

Glancing into the crowd beside her, she smiled at Mizari.

"Thanks again for helping; I won't ever forget you for giving us this chance."

The woman smiled back.

"Just remember, if you get into trouble during the race, trust the dogs. They know what to do, and they know the way. Let them lead you."

Aryll nodded, stepping up to the sled and grabbing the handles as the passenger in it began to whimper.

"Why do _I_ have to be the one riding in this thing? Why couldn't Reshan do it?"

The girl sighed, slapping Linebeck round the back of his thickly hatted head.

"Because you're easier to wrap up than he is. Now stop whining, the race is about to start!"

Everything became quiet, even the dogs falling silent but for an occasional yip or whine. All drivers turned their eyes to the right, to where one of the icelanders held up a red flag, stark against the white of the surrounding snow.

"We, who are here to watch you, wish you luck and safe travel. May your courage see you to the shrine, be it you win or lose your efforts will always be respected... Let the race begin!"

The flag came down, nearly forty sleds rocketing away from the start line, the dogs throwing themselves into their harnesses as the excited barking resumed. Drivers urged them on with shouted cries, the sleds' passengers calling out as well as the annual Great Sled Race got under way. Aryll gripped the handles, pushing the sled from behind as she had once pushed a plough back home, remembering the oft spoken advice of Orca, who was the most experience at it on Outset.

_Push with your feet, but step on the footboard often enough to keep the plough in the ground... It's not all that different from this, I just need to step on when I need to rest and push when I can to make it easier for the dogs. Just like pushing the plough to make it easier for my brother to pull it._

Her efforts, which were slightly different from the way the locals were doing it, seemed to be paying off. She was already pulling ahead of most of the other teams, her dogs picking up even more speed as they gained enough space to _really_ run. She glanced back, back to where the rock spire was already a surprising distance behind her. She then looked to the front, at the sleds ahead of her, counting them.

"We've got five sleds in front of us, and just over thirty behind. You'd better hang on, Linebeck; because I'm not gonna take this easy. This sled is going to go as fast as our dog team will take it!" She lifted her voice, calling out to Mizari's dogs. "I believe in you guys! Now give it all you've got!"

Her words seemed to reach them, the dogs picking up on her will to succeed. They let out an ear splitting howl, the drivers of the sleds ahead actually looking back in surprised, the rearmost just in time to catch Aryll and Linebeck sailing past. The four remaining drivers turned back to their teams, shouting out to try and get them to go faster as the foreign pair caught up and passed them one by one. They'd just passed the last and gone into the lead when the steamship captain in the sled began to whimper again.

"For heavens sake! Can't you SLOW DOWN! You're going to get us _killed!_"

Her face lit up with exhilaration, Aryll just laughed.

"No can do! We're going to win this, so there's no _way_ we're slowing down!"

Linebeck's expression of horror went unnoticed, as he sank down into his bundle of blankets with yet another whimper as the dogs continued to charge through the snow frosted forest, the sleds behind slowly falling away despite their driver's efforts.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The sled jolted, plummeting several feet having just soared off the top of a ridge of snow, the dogs pounding down the steep slope beyond with the now free falling sled hot on their heels. Ahead of them was the flat expanse of a frozen lake, which racers could either safely go around, or risk all and go straight across. Aryll of course was doing the latter, having sent the dogs down the most direct route possible to the lake's icy surface.

They jolted over another ridge, Linebeck's wail splitting the air.

"I'm not sure a kid should be driving when they drive like this! You're completely CRAZY!"

Aryll snorted, shifting left and right as they descended the slope, steadying the sled.

"Oh, stop being such a wussy! I've been driving like this all day and it hasn't killed us yet!"

It was true, she'd taken them across the top of a frozen waterfall, up several dangerously narrow paths, and down several more slopes just as steep and tree studded as the one they were on now. Crossing the frozen lake would be just another thing on the now long list of things that had scared the captain so much that if he had dry pants now she'd be extremely surprised.

"Why couldn't you have brought Reshan?! He's a Rito! He doesn't _mind_ falling! AHH!"

That yelp greeted the bottom of the slope, as the dogs charged out onto the ice heading for the mountain that rose from the far side of it. The finish line was there, just beyond the lake's northern shore, the now tired dogs gamely continuing onwards as their breath steamed into the cold air. To be honest Aryll was surprised Linebeck was still complaining, since the dogs had long since slowed from that incredible pace that had taken them into the lead at the race's start. Now, just over ninety miles later, the sun rapidly dimming as it neared the horizon to the west, they were reaching their limit.

"Come on... You can do it..." She heard a distant shout to her right, a sled bursting from the trees about a quarter of a mile away where the slope down to the lake's surface was much gentler. The sled was placed to go around the edge, but having spotted her ahead the driver had turned his team onto the ice. She cursed. "Damn, he's gaining on us! Come on guys! Keep going! I _need_ you to do this! This isn't about wining to prove I have courage, it's to restore the Master Sword! We can't afford to wait another year to try again; we have to do it first time!"

She took her feet off the runners, breaking into a sprint even though after driving all day she was as tired as the dogs. She gripped the handles, pushing with every ounce of force she could manage while her feet slid on the ice. Again the dogs rose to her words, until they were going fast enough again that she _had_ to stand on the runners or be left behind.

She looked back again as another shout rose up, this time one of warning. The sled behind veered towards the shore as a snapping sound echoed through the air. Even from this distance she could tell his efforts were frantic, and the black hole that appeared in the ice behind him told her why... The ice wasn't thick enough to cross safely, and it was beginning to break.

"What is it? What's wrong?!"

Linebeck's panicky voice rose from his bundle, as eyes came up just high enough to peer out. She cursed again.

"The ice is breaking. That other sled had to head for shore, he almost went through."

"WHAT?! GET US OFF THIS ICE RIGHT NOW!"

Aryll shook her head.

"I can't, we're too far out now. If turn for shore now it means heading onto an area close to where it's already cracked. It's safer to keep going. We've just got to hope it holds."

"No... That can't be..."

The captain was now drenched in eye watering terror, so scared that it was clear his mind was now frozen by it. If only the ice were so stiff.

Her heart in her throat, Aryll kept glancing across at the sled that now paced them from the shore four hundred meters away, certain that it's driver was just as anxiously watching her, hoping as she did that the ice wouldn't break beneath her. For the first time in the entire race she was scared, so much so that she actually wanted to stop.

_No! Courage isn't about overcoming fear, it's about continuing on despite of it! If my brother can do that to save the world, then I can do it too!_

She fixed her eyes on the shore ahead, cutting out all else, even the gut wrenching sound of a crack shooting across the ice behind her, snapping at her heels as yet more fine cracks crazed the surface of the lake around the speeding sled. Nothing else mattered, just that shoreline as it crept closer and closer. She was so fixed on it that when she passed it, the sled lurching up onto solid land again, she nearly fell off.

Blinking around in confusion, she broke out into a grin of triumph.

"YES! We _made it!_"

The sky darkening above her, she urged the dogs on up this one final slope, the light of lanterns ahead in the coming twilight telling her that they'd made it. Cheers erupted from those waiting at the finish line as her sled crossed it and came to a stop, as with an exhausted sigh she slumped to the ground and passed out.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"You've got until sunset before we close the doors again. Whatever it is you're seeking here, you have until then to find it."

Aryll looked over her shoulder at the departing back of the chief of Mizari's hometown, she and Linebeck stood at the entrance of the Glacial Shrine. They'd woken up that morning having being packed off to bed by the people at the finish line the previous night. All of the other competitors had made it safely to the end, and most had still been asleep when the two outsiders had been led up to the shrine. Those that had been awake had offered their congratulations, and also their admiration of this foreign girl's courage and determination. One might have thought there'd be a party of sorts, but truth was everyone was too tired for that.

She sighed, hitching her quiver higher on her shoulder before checking her bow. She then set off into the shrine.

"Come on, Captain Wussy; we have a door to open."

Linebeck began to grumble as he followed her, continuing to do so even as she used her sailor's knife to carve their names into the huge slab of soft stone in the centre of the columned hall beyond. At the back of that hall was a large panel, carved with a round disk that bore a familiar symbol. Aryll pulled the key the Deku had given them from her pocket, seeing that it matched the picture on the wall. With a shrug, she pressed it against the stone.

The panel flared, vanishing to leave a shadowed passage in its place. The blond girl headed into it, Linebeck reaching out after her.

"Wait! There might be something in there! A monster or something!"

Her voice echoed back to him.

"That's why I have my brother's bow with me, silly. Though given the trouble we've had to go through already to get into this place, I don't think Tekai would have booby trapped it."

The captain reluctantly followed her, stopping when she did as a gasp of awe greeted the room beyond.

"Wow..."

It was a chamber, walled entirely in blue stone, its far wall decorated with a painted carving of a man with white hair and amber eyes. A shiver ran through the air inside the room, as the pair could have sword the carving turned its head slightly to look at them as a voice resounded through the room.

_"You who have come here seeking the descendants of Kaiayn, listen well to what I would tell thee... While he forged many sacred items to protect this world from evil, he only saw a few of them to their destined place. After the Cataclysm it fell to me, his mortal son, Tekai, to complete his work. I saw to it that the lands around the Door to the Sacred Realm, the homes of the Six Temples which would defend it, would have a leader to turn to, to maintain peace. I did what I could to unify the people, though that unity was far from perfect in such a young land. When I had done what I could I left, returning to where I had been born, the forest within which my father's temple slept. He knew the Cataclysm would come, and had hidden what items were left in a shrine within that forest. The day I returned there my task of placing them began. I forged a magical sword of my own, and set out across the lands of Hyrule and beyond. During my travels I found love and in turn like my father sired a son. I took him back to Hyrule, and gave my family my final instructions. To stay in the place I had led them, so that should the Master Sword be sundered, they might be found. That would be the secret I keep, that you would wish to know..._

_"You who would seek Kaiayn's Legacy, hear this... East and West of where the Golden Power sleeps lie the lands where my secret rests... and only those true of heart and intention will find it..."_

The voice faded away into silence, as Aryll murmured into the void it left.

"The Golden Power, the Triforce, slept in Hyrule... East and West, Termina and the Western Shore... At least we know now that we're looking in the right places..."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Well that's the last one. Time for bed... it's 12:30 am here lol. Happy reading everyone! :D**


	76. Lands of the West

**Alaia Skyhawk: I'm back again XD I'm too into this to stop now... Man, and to think there are only 15 chapters left after this one...**

**I'd like to note that, in terms of time frame, this stuff is happening one week before Aryll and Linebeck reached the Ice Lands. It's just that the stuff they do and see I want to show in a certain order. The times I use are just worked out from how far I've decided the lands are away from Hyrule. It also means that Tetra can't have used the Gossip Stone to tell these guys that they're in the right place; which Aryll would have told her via Eidan.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 76: Lands of the West

-

"Any sign of somewhere we can set down anchor yet?"

A blue head popped up out of the water below and shook, one of the Sea Spirit's two Zoran scouts. The ship had reached the Western Shore in just two months, but for almost three weeks now they'd been searching the coastline for somewhere they could land, without much luck. For as far as the eye could see they'd been confronted by sheer cliffs and rock infested shallows, never being able to get closer than a hundred metres to the shore. Just as the Zoras had scouted below water ahead to stop the ship from running aground, and to look for safe places for them to stop each night, so had their Rito, Hierin, scouted from the air for any sign of a place where those on foot could get up onto the scrub and grass covered plateau that was atop the cliffs.

As Gonzo sighed, Gerril leaned on the ship's rail and regarded the wall of red stone that thwarted them. The scout frowned.

"Now we know why there aren't any records of anyone from Hyrule having set foot here. Any ship that might have come, which wouldn't have the conveniences we have in our spell preserved food supplies and water purifying funnel, wouldn't have even made it back unless they turned back as soon as they saw the cliffs. If they explored as we have looking for a place to land, they'd have run out of water; so close to land where they might have found it if only they could get ashore."

The former pirate glanced over, his face grim.

"Aye, that would be a bad way to go. Mind if we don't find anything in another week or so, _we're_ going to have to turn back or starve. As much as we have in our storage, that food only gives us that long or we'll not have enough for the trip back, and even then that's cutting it fine."

"Lucky for you that I have good news then!" The shout came from above, Hierin diving down before with a crack of rapidly beating wings he landed on the deck beside them. He grinned. "There's a cove two sea leagues south of here. From what I could see the water within it is deep and clear of rocks... and there's a stairway carved into the stone of the cliff behind it."

Scout and current ship's captain were both startled; the former of the two speaking.

"A stairway? Were there any other signs of people?"

The Rito shook his head.

"None, just the stairway. On the plateau above it there's nothing I can see for miles except for a river canyon and a large mountain about fifty miles inland. The river enters the sea about a mile from the cove, but there are so many rocks sticking up out of the water that taking the ship up it will be impossible."

Gonzo broke out into a grin, before heading for the aft deck to commandeer the ship's wheel from the charcoal haired Senza.

"Who cares about the river? The cove is good enough all on its own!"

Gerril watched him go, listening as the man shouted to the Zoras below about where they were headed so that they could find a safe path for the ship. He leaned on the rail once more.

"Well at least it's something, even if it comes to nothing." He stood up straight and headed for the door below decks. "You should get some rest, Hierin. Tomorrow you're gonna be doing a lot of flying over that land."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The ship rocked gently in the sheltered waters of the cove, a wooden dingy being rowed from it towards the shore with load of equipment, yet more of it already being or having been carried up the stairs that zigzagged their way up the sheer rock face. Those stairs were old, very old, and the Zoras had commented that they could sense traces of ancient, and now faded, preservation spells around the entire area. Those spells were probably the only thing that had kept this place intact, though without the protection of the spells it was now inevitable that the stairs and this cove would eventually be eroded and destroyed by the sea. Up on the top of the cliffs themselves, on the grassy plain above, a circle of tents had sprung up around a campfire made from some of the scrubby bushes nearby. In the sky above that Hierin soared, winging towards the mouth of the river canyon.

He looked down at the land below, as flat to the west from this height as the ocean that dominated everything to the east. Only the distant mountain broke that line, its profile typical of a volcano. It was probable that all this flat land was so flat because of debris settling from past eruptions, the bands visible in the cliffs themselves supporting that theory. Gliding on the wind, he turned west as he reached the canyon, descending down to fly between its walls above the clear waters below. The canyon funnelled the winds from the sea, pushing him along its course at an exhilarating speed. Revelling in it, he dipped and glided on those air currents even as he continued to keep watch for signs of people along the narrow banks below.

Time and again as he travelled up the canyon he would spot something suspicious and land, only to find it nothing more than an oddly eroded rock or a simple track formed by whatever small local animals lived in the cliffs. He found nothing like the obviously man made stairway at the cove, nothing at all to suggest anything other than wildlife lived here. It was so barren of such signs that he was on the point of turning back for the day when he spotted something that was _not_ natural... It was a cloth flag of sorts, waving in the wind from its place attached to a wooden post embedded in the rock face.

His eyes fixed on it as he flew down to it... he didn't see that which came down on him from above until its shadow covered him and he was plucked from the air... captured.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A shrill crystalline wail cut through the camp, all people within it stopping in their tracks as Gerril exploded from his tent and into the one which was to serve as their base of command, where all reports would be gathered together and sorted. Inside it, on the table, there was a wooden box. He lurched towards it, opening it to reveal several crystals of different colours, all looking as if they were a half cut from a whole. That was exactly what they were, and the other halves were carried one apiece by every member of the exploration team. Distress beacons, gifted to them by the sages, spelled so that if something happened to someone in the crew, the half of the crystal they carried that lay in the box would shrill out.

Hand shaking, he lifted a blazing crystal from the box as Gonzo charged into the tent behind him.

"It's Hierin, something's happened to him." The crystal had fallen silent once he'd picked it up, it's light dimming until he turned and pointed it in the direction of the canyon, which caused it to brighten again. "He's still in the area he said he'd scout."

Gonzo frowned, before turning and charging out of the door.

"SENZA! ZUKO! GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE!" The tall man and the short, telescope expert ran over, stopping before their captain as he barked out his orders. "You're coming with me and Gerril. Something's happened to Hierin and we're going to go find him. Now _move it!_"

In seconds Senza had grabbed his curved sword and a coil of rope, Zuko his telescope and a grappling hook. Gerril headed into his own tent, coming out again with a bow and quiver. Without a further word the four of them left the camp, running through the grass towards the rift in the land of the plateau, heading for the canyon...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"It's so quiet. Do you really think there's anything down there?"

Four heads peered over the edge of the canyon, down into the shadows cast by the moon above them. Below they could make out tiers and ledges cut into the cliffs either side of the river, flags of cloth fluttering from wooden posts scattered across them.

Frowning as his eyes moved from one ledge to another, Gerril whispered back.

"There's definitely someone or something living here, and lots of them. Just look along the canyon, those ledges must continue for at least a mile!"

Zuko trained his telescope on the cliffs, peering through it before speaking.

"There are scuff marks all along the edges, like those you see on Dragon Roost made by the Rito landing and taking off. These ones are made by something much bigger, and those somethings have claws. I can see the scratches from them among the scuff marks."

The four men looked at each other, their faces grim as Gonzo then looked below again.

"This isn't looking good for Hierin, but we've _got_ to try and get him back. There's no way we're leaving him behind. Let's go. Zuko, hand me that grappling hook."

The small sailor did as he was asked, watching as his captain secured the tool to the rock at the top of the cliff and slid out over the edge. He began to lower himself hand-over-hand down the hook rope, stopping on a ledge twenty feet below and gesturing them to follow. Once they were all down a practiced flick detached the hook from above, Zuko winding the rope onto his arm fast enough that he caught the hook itself before it could fall beyond them and hit something making a sound. Again it was attached to the rock, though this time the rope was too short to reach the next ledge, so Senza tied his coil of rope to the end to extend it. Again they began to climb down, heading for a ledge that this time was nearly sixty feet below... and a few hundred above the canyon bottom.

The last man to start down the rope, Gerril whispered again.

"One more and we'll hit that first big ledge."

As Gerril reached the knot that joined the ropes, the whole line swayed in a sudden gust of wind. A hissed exclamation came from below.

"That was _close_. I almost slammed into the rocks. Are you alright Gonzo? ...Gonzo? Hey, where'd he g..."

There was another gust of wind, Senza's voice cut off as it hit them. Another quickly followed it, and Gerril looked down past his feet to find the rope below him empty.

"Gonzo! Senza! Zuko!"

His voice rose in volume with each name, panic filling it with each cry. He didn't get to call out again, as something snatched him from the rope and shoved him into some kind of rough sack, the speed of the transfer knocking the wind out of him. He could hear the beating of wings; feel the rhythmic rise and fall of flight. Something was carrying him through the air, and it was big.

He began to struggle, fighting to make a hole in the sack so at least he could see where he was going. The sack itself was woven of dried grass, treated in some way that made it flexible and very tough, and his fingers didn't make the slightest dent. Trapped with no way out, all he could do was sit in apprehensive silence, his heart pounding in his throat from fear, as the flight continued for a few seconds more before coming to a stop. He heard the thud of his captor landing, heard the muffled curses of his companions as they struggled, likely in sacks like his. Heavy footfalls sounded, the noise changing slightly as their captors entered an opening in the cliff face and headed down a tunnel within. This continued for several minutes before he heard a door open followed by three thuds, the fourth was his own as his sack was tossed and he landed on a hard surface.

Hands reached inside the sack, hands attached to arms bearing feathers, pulling him from its depths to stare into the anxious face of their Rito scout.

Hierin sank to the floor beside him, as Zuko, Senza, and Gonzo found their way out of their own sacks; a fifth one visible by the far wall.

"So they got you as well... I never saw them coming when they grabbed me. They just snatched me out of the air so I've no idea what caught us... Did _you_ see them? They opened the door and tossed you before I got a chance to look this time."

As they glanced around at each other, the four would be rescuers shook their heads.

Senza sighed.

"Talk about embarrassing... and now there'll be four more crystals shrieking their little heads off back at camp. Niko will be throwing a fit!"

Gonzo shook his head.

"Niko is the least of our problems right now. First things first we need to find a way out of here."

The Rito with them began to shiver, his feathers fluffing up with agitation.

"I've already tried. That door must be six inches thick, and one of those things is stood out there holding it closed. There must be, because I looked at it and there's no latch or lock. Everything else is _solid rock!_"

He got up and began to pace, feathers still fluffed. It was obvious by this point that the poor fellow was suffering from claustrophobia, such confinement being terrible for someone used to the freedom of the sky.

Gerril got up, taking hold of Hierin's arm to stop him from pacing.

"Take it easy. We'll get out of this, you'll see. The others will come and rescue us."

Zuko muttered under his breath.

"You mean like how we came to rescue him?"

Hierin stiffened as Gerril and Gonzo both groaned at Zuko's lack of tact, the Rito breaking into full fledged panic.

"I've got to get out of here! Let me out! _Let me out!_" He charged at the door, pounding on it. "_Let me out right now! I'm one of the Rito! Lord Valoo would never stand for this!! Let me out!!_"

Something moved outside the door and it opened the tiniest of cracks, not even half a fingers breadth, and a gruff voice came through it as the hyperventilating Rito continued to throw himself at the door.

"You know of the Guardian Spirit of the Sky?"

Hierin let out a wail.

"_Of course I do! He's the one who gave me wings to fly!_"

The door immediately pulled closed again, a low rumbling growl resounding down the passage outside while Gerril and the others dragged Hierin away from the door before he could hurt himself. It was about twenty minutes later, after they'd managed to calm the Rito down, that heavy footfalls sounded outside the door followed by murmurs in some strange language.

Seconds later the door opened fully, a blue dragon that looked like a miniature version of Valoo walking in. As they stared in shock, it regarded them.

"So you are favoured by the one who created us... Perhaps is would be best if we introduced ourselves to one another, and talked of just why it is that you have come to Dracosian lands..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Grins) Hehehe, new Race! FUN! :D**


	77. Children of Valoo

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Is still grinning)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 77: Children of Valoo

-

Four Hyllians and a still rather upset Rito followed the blue dragon through the tunnels, the creature having ordered their release to his custody as soon as it was revealed that they knew the Guardian Sprit of the Sky, and not only that but that one of them had been gifted with wings by him. Under other circumstances they might not have believed the Dracosian's claim that his people were created by the Spirit, but given that every Dracosian they passed looked like a smaller version of him just in different colours it was pretty obvious that their guide was telling the truth. They'd followed him for several minutes now, and had endured being carried over to the other side of the canyon before being led into another tunnel. This new one was much larger than the one that led to where they'd been confined, and the elaborate carvings upon the wooden door he stopped at confirmed that this was a far more important part of the settlement.

He opened it gesturing them to enter.

"I apologise on behalf of my people for the rough handling you have endured, but it has been a _very_ long time since anyone has visited us... In fact we have not met anyone not of our people since the one that showed us this canyon after we were forced to move from our old homeland."

Inside the door was a large room, several bright coloured oversized cushions made of grass cloth, like the sacks they'd been caught in, scattered about the room. As their guild settled down on one of them, and they on the others, Hierin regarded him with puzzlement.

"If you were created by Lord Valoo, why is it he's never mentioned you? And why did he leave you?"

The dragon sighed, his golden eyes sad amid his dark sapphire scales.

"I will tell you, although I will first introduce myself. I am Elder Talga, leader of the Dracosians. Long ago, when the world was first born from the will of the Goddesses, the Guardian Spirit of the Sky, like his Forest and Water counterparts, created a race of beings that would live upon or within the facet of existence they presided over; Land, Sea, and Sky. The Great Deku Tree created the Kokiri, who are most at home on the land. Lord Jabun, or Lord Jabu Jabu as he was known back then, created the Zoras, who are most at home in the water. And lastly there was Lord Valoo, who created us, the Dracosians, who are most at home on the winds, high in the sky. While the Spirits of Earth and Water lived close to one another, Lord Valoo lived in the lands far far north of here. However, not long after the world was born, he sensed a distant tremor in the balance of the world, and departed to the lands of his brethren to investigate. It was after that, as the new lands settled, that where we lived began to change. It became increasingly cold, the ice coating our wings and making it difficult to fly. Despite knowing that he may not find us again, our ancestors were forced to leave those lands. They flew to the west, and then south, following the shore of the great ocean, in whose centre was said to lay the continent where the Power of the Gods lay sleeping. Lord Valoo never found our people again, and while it has been many ages since that separation, we still remember and honour him."

As the Rito fell into thoughtful silence, Gerril frowned thoughtfully.

"You said you met someone when you came here; someone who showed you this canyon."

Talga nodded.

"That is correct. According to our legends, he called himself a Hyllian, and showed our people this canyon; although it was much shallower back then. Back then these lands were still raw from the ash of the volcano, which had fallen silent not long after the birth of the world... or so Tekai said."

Five pairs of eyes fixed on him, Gerril getting to his feet.

"The one you met was Tekai?! That's why we're here; we're looking for his descendants!"

The dragon looked startled.

"So you are here about the Master Sword? It has been broken?" He didn't wait for an answer, for their expressions said it all, but rather got to his feet and gestured for them to follow him. "Come with me. I will show you something you must see."

They scrambled to their feet, hurrying after him as he led them deep into the tunnels within the cliffs. At one point, when they reached a junction where the glowing crystals that had lit every passage so far had stopped, he picked up a number of torches waiting in a basket there; setting them alight with a puff of flame. By that flickering light he led them even deeper, before stopping in a large cavern.

Zuko peered around in awe, as did his companions.

"Wow..."

The walls were covered in paintings, one section of which Talga called them over to.

"These are the Caverns of Memories, where we record our most important historical events by painting them upon the walls. This is the one I want you to see." He pointed to it with a claw, a painting showing several Dracosians standing on the edge of a canyon with a Hyllian man; his white hair and golden eyes staring out from it. In the background was the mountain, the faintest hint of smoke rising from its summit, and above it was a shield and sword inlaid into the stone in bright silver. "Tekai met us by chance that day, having come to these lands for an entirely different purpose. He told us of his father the God of Protection, and of his sacrifice. He also told us of the Master Sword and its purpose to fight evil, and of how only a descendant of Kaiayn could repair it should it be broken. He told us that he had come to these lands to hide a part of the secret of where he'd hidden his family, the place from which they would come. That they would stand out among men, guiding them, but that no one would know where from whence they came... To keep them safe. He said that one day people would come here, that it was inevitable that one day the sword would be broken and would have to be re-forged, and asked us to watch over these lands and guide them when the time came. It is because it is the Master Sword that he chose these lands, and hid part of the secret at the Mount of Sleeping Fire." Golden eyes gazed at the mountain in the painting. "The mountain that wept flame when the God of Protection descended upon it to the Mortal Realm and bathed his forehead in its tears; searing the mark of godhood from his face..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"WHATDOWEDO?! WHATDOWEDO?! WHATDOWEDO?!"

Niko was dashing back and forth across the camp, waving his arms in panic, as Mako held the four blazing crystals that had pierced the night with their wailing several hours ago. The crew's two Zoras had gone off to swim up the river, to search that way, leaving the two diminutive Hyllians to sit in the camp and wait. There wasn't much else they could do.

Looking at the crystals, he sighed.

"We're screwed... Even if the Zoras find em, what could they do if they turn out to be halfway up the cliffs?" Niko zipped past him again, still shouting in panic. "Will you stop running around like that? You're not helping."

Niko stopped; his expression anxious.

"But... But... But whatdowedo?!"

Mako groaned.

"I give up..."

"AHH!! MONSTERS!"

Niko slammed into him, sending the crystals flying as the two of them tumbled through the grass. When they looked up there was four dragons hovering over them, Hierin flying alongside, and four grinning men riding on their backs.

Gerril waved down at the stunned pair.

"Everything's find, just a minor misunderstanding. These fellows are Dracosians, and they're friends of Lord Valoo's. They've been waiting for someone to come about the Master Sword for a very long time, and are going to take us to where we can get part of what we need find someone who can fix it. We've already caught up with the Zoras; they're heading back to the Sea Spirit. You two just keep an eye on the camp, ok? We'll be back by tomorrow."

The four Dracosians turned and flew away, heading west to the distant mountain, leaving two former pirates staring after them in bemusement.

Niko blinked for several seconds, before a look of disgust crossed his face.

"And I get left behind _again!_" He walked off towards his tent, muttering. "Why is it I always get the swabbie work?"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Lol, poor Niko XD**


	78. Sleeping Mountain

**Alaia Skyhawk: And another side story is finished. One to go!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 78: Sleeping Mountain

-

The land rolled past beneath them, the dormant volcano looming high above them now as the reached its base and began to soar up its side. Ancient crags of lava jutted up like jagged blades, and over it all the four Dracosians carried them.

Gerril looked down, from his seat upon Elder Talga's back.

"Tekai came all the way out here to hide that piece of secret? If he was asking you to protect it, why not leave it with you back at the canyon?"

The dragon glanced back at him with a single golden eye.

"He did what he did so that we ourselves could never tell it to anyone. The passages through which you must go are too small and narrow for us, he did it to protect us. So long as we ourselves do not know it, there is no reason for those of evil to attack us. We cannot help them enter, for evil cannot set foot in the shrine, and nor can we get the secret for them. Tekai was very wise, and asked nothing of those he would have help him without ensuring that fulfilling the request would not lead them to harm."

The scout frowned.

"Did he ever once do anything just for himself? The more I learn about him the more it seems he disregarded his own wants and was forever putting the world first. You described him as being fairly young when he came here, and yet your records show he came _after_ he vanished from Hyrule, but his descendants were out in view in those lands for thousands of years after that. Does that mean he left his family, his son, while the boy was just a child? Did he just... walk away from them all, for the sake of the world?"

Talga sighed.

"Perhaps he did, but if he did, he did it because he believed it was neccessary. He was that kind of man, putting others before his own well being, just like his father."

The dragon said nothing more, his attention turning to the small stone doorway that had just come into view on the slope above them, too small for Talga and his brethren to enter. The dracosians landed on the plateau before that doorway, watching as their four passengers looked at them one last time before entering the shrine.

It was dark inside, rough stone forming a narrow passage barely wide enough for them to walk single file. Walking along it, sidling in places where it narrowed further still, the four men eventually came out into a vast chamber that was floored in dimly glowing lava, a series of rock bridges spaning the fiery pool to a doorway on the far side. Cautiously the four crossed them, stopping halfway as a man's disembodied voice resonated through the air.

"_You travel a path walked by only two others in the life of this world. A path I retraced when I hid part of my secret here... The path my father took as his first steps on this world... Below you lies the fire he bathed his face within before he left this mountain, the fire that now sleeps. Move on, ye who seek the Legacy. Do not tarry lest the fire wake..._"

Gonzo looked around nervously, as they hurried towards the other side.

"Do you think some magic stops this place from erupting? Magic that by being here we might disturb?"

Gerril grimaced.

"If there is there's nothing we can do about it. We _must_ get that which he hid here."

They continued on into the next passage, a strange sight appearing ever more strongly upon the floor the further they went. Footprints, etched in silver, that headed towards the exit, getting brighter the father back along their path the men followed them. By the time they were so bright that they almost glowed, they entered another chamber, only it wasn't a chamber, it was the volcano's crater.

A great stone ring surrounded the sky high above, sapphire encircled by dark red. Directly ahead of them the footprints came to a stop, coming from a starburst of the same silver, which splayed outwards upon the rocky ground. Right in the center of that mark the blade of a sword had been jammed into the rock. Patterned in interlocking shevrons of silver and gold, the pattern stoped where the blade ended, the narrow shaft that would normally be fixed within a hilt was completely bare. The hilt wasn't there at all.

Gerril approached it, stopping at the edge of the ring of silver as once again the voice echoed around them, this time coming from the blade.

"_This is where my father first touched this world, the place he descended to, holding within him the wish to be the Sword and Sheild that would protect his sisters' gift to this world from being abused and misused by the forces of evil. It was here that his journey towards mortality began, and where I myself set out on what would be my own final journey... You who would find Kaiayn's Legacy, listen well. Take this blade and seek the hand that holds its missing half. There in the lands where the Fierce Deity was laid to rest..._"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"So now you will return to your homeland. Would you tell Lord Valoo of you having found us, and give him our regards?"

Gerril and Hierin were stood on the shore, below the stone stairway that had led them to this place. Elder Talga was with them, here to wish them farewell. The Rito man tilted his head, regarding this one who in a was something of a cousin.

"You know, you could come with us, all of you, to Hyrule. I'm sure the Queen would be happy to welcome you, and Valoo certainly would."

The dragon shook his head.

"No, we have lived here far too long in the shadow of the Mount of Sleeping Fire to leave now. It is still a sacred place, even with Tekai's secret removed from it. We will remain here and continue to watch over it, and teach those who come here of the God of Protection, and of his son."

All of them looked at the blade which was held in Gerril's hands, glittering in the sunlight as he sighed.

"It seems we have to fix a sword before we can fix a sword. Tekai wasn't so much wise as he was devious. He's probably embedded a message in this thing just like the one that we heard when when entered the shrine. It will probably only sound when blade and hilt are reunited."

Talga chuckled.

"But it _is_ rather apropriate. It has a symmetry to it, much like the Triforce being three triangles, protected by six sages and temples. Then you have the Master Sword, created by one sage, protected and powered by two. Just as he has two parts to the secret, the sword and its hilt, which will reveal what you seek when they become one."

"Hey! Are you two going to get on board or what?! We're going to miss the tide if you don't hurry up!"

It was Gonzo, waving at them from the aft deck of the Sea Spirit; the rest of the crew all ready and waiting to hoist the anchor and sails. Gerril turned to Talga one last time.

"It was an honour to meet you. Thank you for all of your help."

The Dracosian laughed, before in a flurry of wings he lifted from the ground and began to fly away, calling back to them.

"And we thank you! For showing us that we have fufilled our people's promise to Tekai. Long will we remember you, just as we have remember him! You're going to be recorded in our Caverns of Memories, friends!"

The scout slid the hilt-less blade into the sheath at his waist, clipping a cover over the end to prevent it falling out.

"Well then, I guess we'd better get going before Gonzo scalps us for making him miss the tide."

And with that the Rito carried him over to the waiting ship, which quickly turned and headed for the open sea... headed for home...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so yet more of Kaiayn's and Tekai's past comes to light. Everything I've hidden in this fic is begining to come together.**


	79. Distant Shore of the East

**Alaia Skyhawk: Link's turn!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 79: Distant Shore of the East

-

Crystal waters glided past beneath the ship, its captain sat at the tiller smiling at the wind in his face and the lands up ahead. The shore of Termina was just as his ancestor had described it in his journals. Steel grey stone that formed towering cliffs, alternated with pearl white beaches dotted with palm trees. The Red Lion had just passed Pinnacle Rock, once home to the Golden Seahorses that now lived in the middle of Hyrule's Ice Ring Island, and up ahead he could see the remnants of stone columns that the research laboratory he'd mentioned must have stood upon out in the water. That building was gone, though given that it had been two and a half millennia since the Hero of Time had walked these lands it was hardly surprising.

Stopping the ship a short distance from the remnants, Link dropped the anchor and turned to the Rito stood at the bow; Navi snoring softly from her little basket attached to the mast.

"You can just stay and keep an eye on the Red Lion. I'll be heading out with Talin and Yinra to find the local Zoras if there are any still around here. After that I'll fly over to Clock Town, _if _it's still there..."

The Rito smiled, settling himself down to sit comfortably on the deck.

"That's fine by me. Since you can fly it was pretty pointless me coming along anyway, but the queen isn't someone you argue with. One Rito and two Zoras per search team was what she insisted on, and it's what we've got. I'll keep the locals off your ship, Link. You go find that hilt."

He'd gotten word via his father of what his sister and Gerril had found. Aryll finding directions that pointed to the Western Shore and Termina, and the scout finding at said Shore the blade of a sword and directions to the land with the 'Fierce Deity'. That that happened to be the name of a magical mask his ancestor had found in Termina wasn't lost on him, and if he were a gambler he'd bet every rupee he'd ever owned that he'd find something in or around Clock Town's clock, or in that area should the town not be there anymore after all this time.

Grabbing the bag he'd prepared, which contained nothing that would be harmed by a dunking in sea water, Link pulled a certain blue mask out of it.

He eyed it with a hint of mistrust.

"How my ancestor could face using a mask that came from a dead Zora I'll never know. He _hated_ the undead, so this should have been pretty creepy to him... I know it is to me..." He took a deep breath. "Well here goes..."

Making his move before he could talk himself out of it, Link pressed the Zora Mask to his face while his two aquatic scouts watched with interest from the water below. A couple of seconds later and a Zoran man was stood there with the bag, with a very strange expression on his face.

Talin waved from below.

"Well? What do you feel like as one of us?!"

Link looked down at his now blue skin and webbed feet.

"Really really weird... No offence, but this feels seriously creepy."

Eran, the ship's Rito, got up and walked over to his now aquatic captain.

"Let's just get this over with."

Two seconds later Link plummeted into the water before bursting back to the surface, spluttering. The two Zoras compounded this by grabbing his legs and dragging him to the bottom and holding him there as he instinctively held his breath, forgetting that he would now be able to breathe water. When he could hold it no longer he gasped, taking in his first lung, or rather gill, full of water.

He went still, before blushing purple as Talin and Yinra laughed at him. He shook his head.

"Forget being creeped out by putting the mask on... How the hell did he manage to breathe water that first time?!" He swam back to the surface and glared up at Eran. "I'll get you for that, mark my words."

Yinra surfaced beside him.

"Getting even can wait for the trip back to Hyrule, there are Zoras near here. If you listen you'll be able to hear them now when you're underwater."

He did as she'd said, his now black eyes widening as sure enough he could hear them. Of course being able to hear Zoran sonar calls was a completely different matter from understanding them. They were a language in and of themselves.

"What are they saying?"

Talin glided past beneath him, idly rolling to face upwards as he swam.

"Just general stuff about the sea conditions and how good the fishing is at the moment. Nothing much else. Shall we get going? You wanted to see if you could speak to that turtle since you know the song that wakes it."

Link gave a kick of his legs, surprising himself for a moment at how fast he could swim now.

"That song only works if someone from a certain bloodline sings it. Back when the Hero of Time was here it was a girl who was part of a Zoran music group. We can't count on the current person to be that easy to find unless they already know they're one who can wake that thing."

Yinra swept past as well, the pair leaving Link to struggle to keep up with their practiced ease in the water.

"Then we'll just have to trust to luck."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Greetings were shouted out through the water to the newcomers, several of the locals swimming over to glide around them as they headed for mouth-like opening into the fish-shaped hall. Zora Hall was exactly where it had been in the past, and while it was clear from looking that it had been repaired a great many times over the centuries, it was still just as the Hero of Time had described it. As for the Hero of Winds, he remained rather quiet while his scouts introduced themselves and him; the revelation that he was a Hyllian using a transformation mask earning him an audience of gawkers. They were mainly children though, so it wasn't too bad.

The locals led them into the hall, up into the vast chamber within, with its many miniature waterfalls tumbling from the ceiling into a pool of water below. Looking at it Link couldn't help but notice that the arrangement was like a smaller representation of Zora's Domain, and given that all Zora's could trace their ancestry back to it, it was fitting this place resemble it.

As they were led through the hall, still Link remained silent, until Yinra came over to him after talking to yet another of the Zoras who lived here.

She grinned.

"Luck hasn't failed us, there's a member of that bloodline here and they're already heading to the rear of the hall where you can stand outside and speak to the turtle. He's already awake. According to them he's been awake for almost two years, so that means what happened in Hyrule with the new land must have woken him up."

The hero blinked.

"Really? Poor guy. I got woken up by the wave that swept the islands right at the start, and I near jumped out of my skin when the island shook. What must it have felt like to him?"

She laughed a little.

"Probably a very rude awakening... Come on, let's go speak to him. I've been told that it's fine, there's no formality involved."

They headed for the rear terrace, Link still gaining curious looks from those he passed. The sooner he was back on shore and had this mask off the better. Out on the terrace it was rather an anti climax, with the turtle already watching the exit waiting for the visitors to emerge. There was a young Zoran girl with him, who inclined her head as they approached.

"Orath has been waiting for you, Link; son of Eidan. My name is Luna, and I'm the current Sea Singer, although my voice wasn't needed to wake him. He woke up all on his own this time."

Link stopped in his tracks, staring in surprise at her.

"How do you know who my father is?"

The turtle, Orath, laughed.

"Lord Jabun and I are old friends, and have our ways of talking to one another across the vastness of the seas. He told me you were heading in this direction, and of why you've travelled so far." He gave a sort of amused smile, though on a turtle it was hard to tell. "So... do you have any suspicions on where you might find what you're looking for?"

Link looked rather bemused. This was _not_ how he'd pictured this meeting with the Sea Guardian.

"I thought there might be something in or around the Clock Tower in Clock Town, if it's still there."

Orath's 'smile' widened.

"Oh it's there alright, the clock too... Did you know that when the Four Giants made their promised to protect the people of this land, it was right where an underground river rose to the surface from an ancient tunnel before flowing back below ground again? The people built the clock there to mark the place the promise was made, and used the flow of water to power it, but even before that it was a special place. Many old tunnels and such riddle this land, all interconnecting with one another, but the only place that river tunnel connects with any other passage is beneath Clock Town, right in the basement of the clock itself... I remember the fellow who built it, that tunnel. He toiled with magic for several years before he finished it and then disappeared into its depths... I never saw him come out again, that Tekai. A great deal like his father was, that one."

Link gaped, his two scouts doing likewise.

"And yet again we find a random person who knows exactly what we need... Tekai wasn't taking any chances, was he? He _wants_ his secret to be found. It's been so east to trace him outside of Hyrule that it's crazy."

Orath winked.

"Ah, but I would not have told what I just told you to anyone. Only to the bearer of the Fierce Deity was I to tell the location of the hilt of Tekai's sword. It was quite the twist of fate, your ancestor finding it like he did. He passed it down to his descendants, and now you have brought it back here. Don't try to tell me you don't have it. I can sense it inside that bag of yours." He turned his head to look at Luna, the girl petting his nose before he continued. "The place you are heading is where that mask was made. Quite the masterpiece on Tekai's part; that thing made quick work of Majora's Mask when the Hero of Time used it... Now are you going to head to Clock Town, or chat to me all day?"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Link soared on the winds, having gratefully removed the Zora Mask in front of a rather amused Orath and high tailed it towards Clock Town as fast as his feathers would take him. He was flying over Termina Field now, the great circular wall of the town high on the hill ahead of him, the clock towering above it. Tactfully deciding on a less showy entrance that plummeting out of the sky to land inside the town walls, Link descended to land on the field, intending to walk the last of the way before night fell. He was just about to enter the western gate when a sound made him pause. Laughter, and a tinkling sound a bit like a bell. Curious, he changed course and headed for a patch of various plants and flowers that was among the grass nearby. What he saw brought a smile to his face, as he knew right away who it was he was seeing.

Two fairies, one pink and one purple, were darting in and out among the leaves playing peek-a-boo as a handful of children from the town looked on in delight. The two playing sprites stopped, as the chiming of the great clock signalled the end of the day, the children reluctantly heading back into the town.

One little girl waved.

"Bye bye, see you tomorrow."

Link watched them go, before turning his attention to the fairies. After he'd watched them for almost a minute, the pink one looked at him and tinkled irritated.

"What are _you_ staring at?"

Navi whisked out of his hat, having tagged along when she saw him flying away from Zora Hall.

"Wow, you're as mouthy as Link said you were... And to think you helped him defeat Majora's Mask... _I_ helped him defeat the _King of Evil_."

Link blandly grabbed Navi out of the air by her wings.

"And for calling Tatl 'mouthy', you're doing an awfully good job of being that yourself."

Tatl hung there in shock, her brother Tael fluttering over to take a closer look at this stranger who knew his sister's name.

"Who are you? How do you know about that stuff with Majora's Mask? That happened over two and a half thousand years ago, back when we hung out with the Skull Kid." His voice became a little sad. "Forest Imps live a really long time, but they're not immortal like we fairies are. He faded away a long time ago now, so we play with the town kids now rather than just one person. It hurts too much when we lose them if we get too close to them."

Navi stopped struggling to free herself from the sailor's grip, a tearful murmur coming from her.

"Just like when I lost Link..."

The present day Link let go of her, Navi fluttering to his shoulder and perching there as he looked at the purple fairy.

"My name is Link, and my ancestor wrote quite a bit about you two in his journals. I'm descended from the guy you knew back then."

Tatl finally regained her senses, chiming with excitement as she shot over to hover in front of him.

"You are?! Wow! This is so amazing! Oh! Oh! I've _got_ to show you some of the places he went when he was here!"

Link grimaced a little.

"I hate to say this, but I don't really have time. I'm here to get something that we really need back home, so sightseeing isn't something I can really do. I can hang around with you close to the town, but heading to the Swamps or something isn't going to be possible."

Tatl was so close to his face now that he could see her pouting within the glow of light around her.

"Aww, no fair..."

Navi gave her a long look.

"Like you're one to talk. After all the trouble you used to cause back in the Kokiri Forest, I'm not surprised your brother dragged you all the way out here. You were a flying disaster waiting to happen, and look at the trouble you got mixed up in when you didn't stop that Forest Imp from stealing Majora's Mask from that salesman. I think keeping today's Link close to Clock Town is a sure fire way to make sure you don't get him into trouble."

Pink glared at white.

"HEY! How did you know we were from the Kokiri Forest?"

Navi began to examine her fingernails.

"Well that's a no brainer... you're Forest Fairies, and all Forest Fairies are from the Kokiri Forest... Then there's also the matter that I'll never forget you, Tatl, for what you called my sister..."

Tatl was now baffled, her brother groaning in the background. He'd already twigged just who Navi was.

"Huh?"

The white fairy looked up at her.

"You said she smelled like rotting swamp water, and that her green light made her look like the crap from a Wolfos that had been eating fluorescent mushrooms..."

Tatl gasped before pointing at the fairy on a confused Link's shoulder.

"_Aww crap! You're Princess Navillia!_"

Navi, or rather Navillia, rolled her eyes.

"Man I hate that name... Why oh why did my sister have to name me that?"

Link smothered a laugh.

"Navillia... Sounds cute... Did my ancestor know that's your full name?"

She grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to twist it.

"No, and if you _ever_ tell _anyone_ back home you're going to get it!"

Biting back a yelp, Link managed to detach her from his ear.

"Ok ok! I won't tell anyone. Sheesh..."

Her tart question was the reply as she pointed at the setting sun.

"So are you going to go find a room at an inn, or are you planning to sleep outside?"

The hero stared at her for a moment, before hastily heading into the town, a trio of fairies following along behind him.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe... Navillia XD**


	80. Ancient Path

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, I loved that bit with Navi and Tatl. For those who forgot, I had Navi mention quite a while back that the leader of the Forest Fairies is her sister.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 80: Ancient Path

-

The chiming of the great clock heralded the beginning of the new day, Link sitting up in his bed at the inn which stood where the Stock Pot Inn had once been. It was three stories tall to the old inn's two, but other than that it was the same wood panels and white washed walls as the one the Hero of Time had used all those years ago. He yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before siding his feet out from under the blankets.

Now awake, he reached out and gave the pink fairy sleeping on the night stand to his left a little nudge.

"Hey, Tatl, you live around here. What time does the Mayor's Office open? You saw the lock on the entrance to the clock's basement when we passed it last night; I'm going to have to go ask for permission to go in."

A single muted and discordant tinkle accompanied her groan as she rolled over.

"...Ten o'clock... It's not for another four hours, now lemme sleep..."

Her brother was sat up, having started to move when the clock chimed just like Link had. He shook his head.

"This is why she's so hyper... She super charges her energy reserves by sleeping for fouteen hours per day, and then races around like a maniac for the other ten..."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Which means?"

Tael shrugged.

"She went to sleep at seven, so she'll wake up at nine." He fluttered his wings, rising up into the air, pausing to glance at his sister and reassured by her tinkling snores that she was comtose again. "Do you want to go get some breakfast? This inn doesn't start serving it until eight, but there's a cafe over in West Quarter that opens at six. People stop by there on their way to work, so there's always lots of nice things on offer. The inns always serve toast, porridge, or cereal... but that cafe does _pancakes_."

By his voice the fairy was practically drooling. Link chuckled.

"Let me guess. Tatl would drench them in syrup and be even _more_ hyper, if that's even possible."

The purple fairy groaned.

"Believe me, it is..."

The hero chuckled again, getting dressed before heading out of the room with the long suffering Tael. As they began to head across the town, he glanced at the fairy who had perched himself on his shoulder.

"I have a question. Back when my anscestor was here, during that stuff with Majora's Mask, why did you stay with the Skull Kid rather than help him and your sister?"

Tael sighed.

"I knew it was the mask that was making him do those terrible things, so I stayed to try and make him take it off. It didn't work though. After it was all over I was really freaked out when my sis told me that she and that guy had re-lived those three days over and over and over to free the Four Giants and stop the moon from falling. I wouldn't have believed her if it weren't for the fact that on the dawn of the day after that battle, people all over Termina were talking about the boy-Deku-Goron-Zora that had helped them. Termina is far too big for him to have done all that in just three days... It's like after he saved us, all of the things he did to help in the separate sets of days all merged together to form one past where he helped everyone all at once."

Link's expression was understanding.

"I guy I met briefly not too long ago said that the Goddess of Time can be fickle. I think she must have decided to keep all of his good deeds held in reserve each time he asked her with the Ocarina to send him back to the start of the three days; and then she must have stuck them all together once the mask's power had been destroyed."

The fairy brightened, his voice becoming cheerful.

"Yeah, that's what she must have done. Hey, there's that cafe! Let's go in! They do _super_ blueberry pancakes!"

Link laughed, doing as the fairy asked. Ten minutes later he was sat at a table in the cafe with a stack of said pancakes in front of him. Pushing the space plate he'd gotten towards the drooling fairy, he flipped one of them onto it before he added syrup and butter to his own. Tael didn't need an invitation, and immediately settled on the edge of the plate and began to munch on the pancake happily. They continued to eat in happy silence for several minutes, before Link stopped to take a sip of the fruit juice he'd bought himself in addittion to the food.

Sighing with satisfaction, he set the glass down.

"You're weren't kidding about these; they're great... Just don't tell Navi and Tatl we came here. They'd flip..."

Tael mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"The secret's safe with me."

Grinning at their subterfuge, Link quickly finished the rest of his stack as the fairy scarfed down the last of his own. Though how Tael had managed to eat a whole pancake that was almost as big as he was, Link wasn't sure. Their breakfast finished, with still another couple of hours until Tatl would get up, the two of them set off for a stroll outside the town.

Out on Termina Field, just outside the south gate, Link perched himself on a convenient rock so he could watch the sun rising above Ikana Canon to the east.

"It's hard to believe my ancestor was only here for three days in terms of actual passed time... In his Journal he had entries like 'First Day-Fifth Time', 'Third Day-Nineth Time'. When you add them all up I think for him it was something like about five or six _weeks_."

Tael landed on the hero's head.

"Owwie, that must have sucked; spending _that_ long living the same three days over and over. Heh, it makes me wonder how my sister managed to stay awake. Six weeks of not getting to spend fourteen hours sleeping?"

Link suppressed a laugh, a grin fighting its way onto his face.

"Actually, in the journal entries he commented quite often that she spent a heck of a lot of time sleeping inside his hat... She only came out when some stunt he pulled or monster he was fighting woke her up. Either of those or that she came out to take a wise crack at him or someone else."

The purple fairy sighed and shook his head.

"That sister of mine... It's just as well we're happy out here, because if we went back to Hyrule Navi's sister, Queen Tavannia, would pin her to a tree the way bug collectors pin beetles onto boards. The Queen of the Forest Fairies is nice, but something about Tatl brings out the worst in her. The same could be said of my sister, though there are a _lot_ more people who bring out the worst in _her_."

The hero chuckled as a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Tael. Back when you two lived in the Kokiri Forest, did Tatl ever eat any berries, you know the ones that grow on those low bushes with the tiny leaves, after winter had passed?" The fairy immediately began to splutter, tilting sideways off the side of Link's head to tumble to the ground making choking sounds as though he were having a seizure. Link looked down at him sympathetically. "I'll take it that was a yes..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Hero and fairy climbed the stairs to the inn's third floor, a plate of buttered toast in the former's hand for the two fairies that they'd left sleeping on the nightstands either side of the room's bed. After rescuing a traumatised Tael from the ground out on Termina Field, Link had taken him to the laundry pool in South Quarter and given him a dunking to snap him out of it. After that they'd just settled down to watch as the market stalls were set up for the day in South Quarter Square, before finally heading back to the inn to get the hero's gear before going to see the mayor.

Passing the last few doors, Link pulled his room key out of his pocket and opened the door to his own... freezing in shocked bemusement when confronted by what was going on within. Navi and Tatl were in the process of a fist fight, screaming at the top of their lungs at each other. Link darted into the room and hastily closed the door, dumping the plate of toast on the bed before grabbing the two combatants out of the air by their wings; holding on tightly as they tried to escape his grip and resume tearing each other's hair out.

"Geeze! I leave you two alone for three hours, and I come back to find you trying to beat the crap out of each other! I have empty bottles in my bag and I'm not afraid to use them! Stop it right now or you're _both_ going into solitary!"

Both fairies became still, while in the background Tael was beating his head off the wall. He groaned.

"I am _so_ sorry, Link... Now do yourself a favour and use those bottles anyway, it'll take all day for my sister to cool down."

Tatl stared at him in horror.

"What?! Tael you.. mmph!!"

Her voice was cut off as Link transfered her to the hand that also held Navi, darting to his bag and pulling a pair of bottles out of it before unceremoniously cramming a fairy into each and jamming the corks home... He then tied the corks in place for good measure.

Two fairies peered at him with pitiful expressions, their faces plastered against the inside of the glass pleading for release. He frowned at them.

"I'll let you out later, and only once the two of you promise not to do that _ever_ again." Not giving them a chance to answer, he shoved the bottles back into his bag and picked it up, glancing over at the relieved purple fairy. "Let's just head to the mayor's now; I don't mind waiting outside until it opens."

He headed for the door, pausing to wrap the toast in a napkin before putting it into his bag as an afterthought; Navi and Tatl could have it later...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Hey, this place is just as creepy as I remember it."

The sounds of turning gears filled the air around them, the smell of damp and mildew rising from below. Their visit to the mayor had been a trying one, with Link having had to spend two hours reasoning with the man to get him to let them into the clock tower's basement. The clock was beyond ancient now, it being a miracle it still worked even _with_ all the repairs that had been made over the centuries. Where once people had gone in freely to watch the clock's working s turn, now you could only go in under guard.

He glanced over his shoulder at the quartet of armed men behind him.

"Let's just get going, Tael. Hopefully this won't take too long."

He headed for the ramp that led down from the far left, the clinking of armour telling him that the guards were going to follow him no matter where he went in here. Biting back a sigh, he kept going, stopping once he reached the bridge that hung just above the flow of the underground river and looking upstream. Tael fluttered into those shadows, his glow lighting the edges of the end of an arched tunnel. At the top of the arch there was a sword and sheild inlaid into the stone in silver, just like the ones that Gerril had said he'd seen in the Dracosian's Caverns of Memories.

Link looked at the guards out of the corner of his eye, mentally gauging the distance between them and him before with a deep breath he vaulted onto the bridge's rail and threw himself into the air, spreading his wings to soar into the tunnel as the guards themselves shouted after him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"HALT!"

It was a fairly pointless exersize, since they didn't have any kind of ranged weapon with them, and Link was beyond the range of most of them within just a few seconds. As for the hero himself, he was having a few second thoughts about his little stunt as he flew up the tunnel guided by Tael's light.

"I hope they don't lock the basement door again. If they do then even _if_ I find that hilt, I won't be able to get out of here with it."

The fairy hummed thoughtfully.

"I don't think they will. They'll probably lock it but stand a guard outside the door to wait for you to knock for them to open it... and after that they'll probably post a couple of squads of them outside the door to aprehend you once they _do_ open it."

Link gave him a long look.

"Gee thanks, that makes me feel so much better..."

Beating his wings faster, Link sped up, the water rushing past below him for mile after mile. He'd been flying for almost two hours before he finally came out of the end of the tunnel and broke into a startled hover. He was in a vast cavern, floored with a lake, a waterfall tumbling from high up on the far side. Light pierced the roof high above, rays reaching down to make the rippling waters sparkle like diamonds. On his left a stone platform reached out into the water, holding upon it a set of shallow stairs that led up to a doorway set into the cavern wall.

He flew towards it, as Tael gasped in awe.

"Oh wow... This place is beautiful. I had no idea this was here..."

By now Link had landed, climbing up the stairs to stand before the door. The moment he reached it, a voice resounded through the air.

"_Ye who seek Kaiayn's Legacy, you who bear with you the Fierce Deity, pass within these halls and face my trial. The labirinth holds many dangers in its heart, dangers that will not spare you should you falter. You must enter it alone, with naught but sword and sheild and Fierce Deity. The mask is the key to the final door, and to find that door you must walk in my footsteps, see the labirinth as I have seen it, understand me and the reasons for which I have created it. Only then will you find the true path, and find that which you have come here for..._"

The door opened, revealing a narrow passage that turned a corner just a short way ahead. Link turned to face Tael, before lowering his bag and removing from it the three items he was permitted to take; setting two bottles on the floor as their occupants fluttered frantically to escape, crying out to him not to go.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Tael, let them out once the door is closed again. Give me three days... If I'm not back by then, then I want you all to leave and go home..."

The fairy nodded solemnly, as Link fastened his sword and sheild into place on his back and hung the mask from his belt.

"I will... be careful, Link..."

With that the hero turned and walked through the door... The stone grinding back into place behind him with a sense of finality...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Man, the suspence is killing me and **_**I'm**_** the one writing this! XD**


	81. Hand that Holds

**Alaia Skyhawk: For those of you hoping for something like this, here it is; Winds of a New Beginning's only dungeon type chapter, sort of. It's dungeon-ish, but more like a mini one. Think Bottom of the Well in OoT; one main area to search and a boss creature to kill to get what you came for.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 81: Hand that Holds

-

It all looked the same, no matter how far he walked, no matter how many corners he turned. Golden brown walls, lit by a dim inner glow and spaced far enough apart that if he stood between them he could just brush them with his fingertips, polished to a shine that let him see his reflection on their surface. Dull blue floor, made of a repeating pattern of tiles just like the ceiling above.

He was hopelessly lost...

Link stopped at a junction, looking left and right trying to figure out which way he should go next. He'd lost track of how long he'd been in this maze, lost track of how far he'd walked. The walls and floor were impervious to his sword, as was the ceiling, leaving him unable to mark where he'd been and where he'd yet to go. It was just an endless mass of ochre walls which bounced the sound of his footsteps back at him in a way that left him constantly looking back over his shoulder, sure he was being followed. He went left, as he had done at every junction since he'd realised he was lost. It wasn't helping, and so far it had just seemed to lead him into danger.

Stone screeched, and with a frantic flap of his wings he flipped backwards, narrowly avoiding being flattened between two walls that had spontaneously decided to move. Sprawled on the floor, he panted as his heart pounded; watching as the sections of wall returned to their former positions. Getting to his feet again, he turned and went back the way he'd come, taking the right hand turn at the junction this time.

Green eyes moved ceaselessly about the walls, watching for danger, for the slightest sign of another trap. He was on the verge of becoming paranoid, of flinching at the slightest sound, even the echo of his own footsteps.

He spun, putting his shield out in front of him as the faint whine of air over flights gave him his only warning. The arrow ricocheted off it, having come from somewhere _beyond_ the wall trap. Looking down at the iron shaft and its razor edged head, he left it where it was, as a marker to show he'd been here and also to warn himself of the danger should he come this way again.

His fingers twitched as he walked, tightening nervously on the hilt of his sword, the mask that was the only other thing he had besides his sword and his shield hanging from the back of his belt. It mocked him, that mask... Mocked him with the fact that it was the key to open the door he needed to find, a door that so far he had failed to. He gritted his teeth and kept going, fighting the urge to just sit down and give up, fighting the panic that fluttered in his gut while he continued through these faceless passages. Why had Tekai created this place like this? Why fill it with so many traps? At the Mount of Sleeping Fire Gerril had just walked in and found the blade of Tekai's sword, picking it up and walking out again. In the Ice Lands Aryll might have had to go to a lot of effort to get into the Glacial Shrine, but once she had again it had been a case of walking in and walking out again. Why was this place so different?

He stopped, slumping against the wall and sliding down to sit at the base of it; tilting his head back to rest against the cool surface behind him.

_This is hopeless... I've been in here for at least a day and I've found nothing but traps and endless hallways. How big is this place? Am I even close to finding that door or am I wasting my time?_

He closed his eyes, despair rising up within him.

_Am I even _able_ to find that door? Am I really the one that can do this? Or am I just deluding myself by trying? Those words I said to Tael... 'Give me three days... If I'm not back by then, then I want you all to leave and go home...' When I said them I never once believed he'd have to follow them... but now..._

He felt cold, felt as though every fibre of his being was freezing, sapping him of the will to go on. Everything seemed so pointless. Why move? Why go on when you can't succeed? He sat there, growing ever colder, not noticing the chill until a touch like ice encircled his throat.

He jerked to his feet, dragging himself away from the wall, away from the thing that even now reached out to take hold of him again. It slid out of the wall, the blue floor turning white with frost beneath it as long arms dragged its legless body across the ground towards him. He lifted his sword, bringing it down in a wide sweep that clove the creature's head from its shoulders. Looking at it he thought back to those words he'd heard outside.

'_The labyrinth holds many dangers in its heart, dangers that will not spare you should you falter.' He wasn't kidding... I have to keep moving. If I stop then more of those things will just come after me._

He headed down the path once more, the creature dissolving into ooze behind him as he mulled over the rest of them.

'_The mask is the key to the final door, and to find that door you must walk in my footsteps, see the labyrinth as I have seen it, understand me and the reasons for which I have created it.' ...Why go so far as to make this place a death trap? What does he mean? Am I supposed to try and see this place as he would, guess what he was thinking when he created it? No, it can't be that complicated. If it were then chances are that _no one_ would ever find that hilt, but he wanted it to be found when time came that it was needed... So what did he mean?_

Link frowned, his eyes once again warily watching the walls as he went, before stopping as he realised something.

_He wasn't talking about the labyrinth... 'Understand me and the reasons for which I have created it.' He was talking about the mask! This is where he made it!_

Link sheathed his sword, unhooking the mask from his belt before holding it up to take a look at it.

_'The mask is the key to the final door, and to find the door you must walk in my footsteps, see the labyrinth as I have seen it'... My ancestor wrote that this mask only let him use it to fight the greatest of evils, that after he defeated Majora's Mask he never again found a place where it would work... But does that mean it won't work in here?_

He eyed the mask, a frown of determination creasing his brow as he set his shield on his back and took hold of the mask with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he flipped it over and pressed it to his face. The sensation that surged through him made him want to wretch, as gasping he stood upright again from having doubled over, bracing himself on the wall. He turned his head and looked at it, looked at his reflection on its surface.

He was garbed in blue, grey, and silver, blank white eyes staring out of a face marked with red and blue beneath hair of purest white. Standing up straight he took a step back, turning to face the opposing wall only to freeze in shock. Another reflection stared back at him, but it wasn't the one he'd seen a moment before. A man with white hair and amber eyes watched him, clothed in dark blue. Though Link never moved, the reflection did, gesturing for him to follow before walking off along the wall.

He stopped, looking back at the transformed hero.

_'Come... Walk my path with me, you who now look through my eyes and walk in my footsteps...'_

Link went wide eyed with stunned realisation as he stared at the man, at Tekai's spectre, and saw that his was the face he'd seen in the first reflection, a face devoid of blue and red markings, the eyes not blank but rather glowing amber. The mask, it transformed its wearer into Tekai's form, literally allowing them to see the world as he had though his eyes! He looked at his altered hands, unable to move for the sheer profoundness of that knowledge. That here and now he stood in this maze _as_ Tekai...

The reflection gestured again, and this time Link followed as it led him through one junction after another without hesitation. Finally, it stopped mid-wall and looked at him.

_'Come...'_

The hero stared at it in confusion, as it held out its hand and asked him again. Uncertain, Link reached out and pressed his hand to that of the reflection, stumbling as it passed into the stone and he felt its grip pull him through. Within he found himself in another chamber, as large as the waterfall cave but barren of any sign of life or structure. Walking towards its centre, he stopped as the voice spoke again.

_'Now fight...'_

Light blazed, filling the heart of the chamber like the tremendous roar that shook it. There towering over him was an immense white dragon, limbs and head marked in red and blue just as his own face was right now. It lashed out at him, and without thinking he pulled the great twined sword from across his back and blocked it.

Blue-silver claws screeched against the sword of the same, rebounding from it. Link jumped over the outstretched paw, lunging at the creature's head, swinging his blade towards its neck. The sword struck home, but bounced off without doing anything, before the great head swung around and slammed into him. He felt teeth bite down on his legs, but felt no pain. When he fell from its jaws he rose to his feet, completely unharmed.

He looked up at the dragon, as it hissed down at him.

_Fix a sword to fix a sword... Put hilt and blade together to get the message... I can't hurt that dragon, but it can't hurt me... It has the same markings as the mask... Tekai is as devious as ever..._

Link lowered his sword, meeting the dragon's blank white gaze with his own.

"I will not fight you, because we are _both_ under the power of the same mask..."

The dragon stopped hissing, regarding him for a moment before speaking in Tekai's voice.

"I see my ruse has not fooled you... Force might be necessary to defeat evil, but when seeking help it is far better to _ask_... You have passed my trial, ye who seek the Legacy. Now see what I would have you see..."

Light blazed again, the dragon dissolving as the light grew brighter still. When it faded, Link was no longer in the cavern, but rather stood on the outskirts of a village. He looked around himself, wondering just where he was until he noticed he could see through himself. He was just an image, an onlooker, here to see what Tekai wanted him to.

"Daddy... Do you _have_ to go?"

Four people were walking towards him, away from the village, and he gasped as he saw who one of them was. It was Tekai, younger than the one in the reflection, and the young boy who had called him his father had the same amber eyes beneath his brown hair.

Tekai stopped and turned, kneeling in front of the boy.

"I _must_ go, Feruin. There is much that I have still yet to do. Watch over your mother and grandmother for me; and over the family that you yourself will have someday." He got up, looking at the two women behind his son; one young and the other middle aged. "Make sure you keep your heads down, and make sure to keep using the dye on Feruin's hair. My hiding you here will be pointless if the blood of Kaiayn continues to give those descended of him hair like his own. Hide it, and keep it hidden until time comes that he will go to Hyrule Castle to advise the queen as I once did. And promise me that you will pass on my instructions."

The younger woman nodded; her expression tearful.

"We will... We promise that your descendants will ever live and be born in this village, and that this village will forever keep its name and never be forgotten."

He sighed.

"That is all that I _can_ ask... Goodbye my beloved Karaie, Feruin... and my dear mother Ira..."

He turned and began to walk away, the two women clutching each other and crying while the boy stood with denial in his eyes as in a swirl of magic his father disappeared.

"Daddy! _Daddy!_"

The scene changed, becoming halls of polished stone decorated with a stylised red eagle... the eagle from the Crest of Hyrule. Again Tekai stood before him, though this time the person with him was a man wearing a crown.

Tekai bowed to him.

"Your Majesty, I would speak to you this one last time before I depart. Please keep what I am to tell you a secret from Her Majesty the queen."

The man, the King of Hyrule, frowned.

"You would have me deceive her?"

Tekai shook his head.

"No, I would have you keep a secret from all people, for the sake of Hyrule." He reached inside his tunic, pulling out a white baton. "This is the Windwaker, a sacred instrument much like the Ocarina of Time that the queen guards. Just as she is the only person other than the Sages of the Sacred Realm to know the song that goes with it, would have you be the only other person beside the Sages of the Master Sword to know of it and of them."

The king stiffened.

"There are other sages?"

The white haired man nodded.

"Yes, and it is they who give the Master Sword the Power to Repel Evil. They, unlike their fellow sages, must for their safety remain hidden from the world, but there must always be someone who knows of them who can go to them in times when the bond between them and the sword must be reinforced. That is the role I would give the Kings of Hyrule, to keep secret the source of the Master Sword's power, and at the same time safeguard it. Pass that baton and this knowledge to your successor, and tell him to do as I have you. You or those that succeed you will learn the songs of the Earth and Wind Temples when the sages who dwell there should call upon you."

He pressed the baton into the king's hands, the man's blue eyes regarding him speculatively.

"Just who are you _really_, Tekai? ...How is it you know so much about that which is secret from so many?"

Amber eyes glittered as they looked back.

"I am the son of the one who created that baton, the Ocarina of Time, and all that you have already learned of that shields this world from evil... I follow in his footsteps, continuing his work in his stead."

With that Tekai walked away, the king watching him go as he slipped the Windwaker inside his robes. The expression on the man's face revealing that he would keep the secret as asked, and pass on the knowledge as instructed... Yet again the scene changed, turning frigid as Tekai stood upon the slope of a mountain with arms held up to the wind. Magic flared, and a metal disk appeared before him and fell into his hands.

"The Hyllians will be here soon... I have sealed the inner door of the shrine. Here is the key that I would ask you guard as they will guard the shrine itself. Give it to whom should come seeking my descendants, hailing from a distant land, and here for the sake of saving it."

There was a rustle, several leafy heads poking up through the snow. The largest of the Deku came forward and accepted the disk.

"We will do as you ask, Silver Haired One. May your journey be a safe one which will bring you back home."

Tekai smiled, before walking away into the snow.

"I thank you for your trust, and I know you will not fail me." As the distance grew between them his next words were a murmur they couldn't hear. "And I thank you for you kind words, but I will not be returning there again..."

Ice became fire, Tekai following footprints of silver though a passage of red stone out into the crater of a volcano. Stopping before the starburst of silver where the footprints ended, he thrust the blade of a sword into its centre. Link watched as he retraced his steps through the passage, and over bridges spanning a pool of lava. He watched as Tekai came out onto the mountainside, stopping beside the dragon that waited there.

The dragon regarded him.

"You have done what you came here to do?"

Tekai nodded gravely.

"I have, and now I have but my final journey to make. My time is nearing its ending, my friend, and I cannot and will not postpone it."

The dragon lowered his head, saddened.

"We will miss you, Tekai; you who gave us hope, purpose, and a new beginning in these lands. Be assured that out kind will never forget you or your father. We will pass on what we have learned of you when the time comes."

The scene shifted again, showing Tekai stood on a small island as a great sea turtle watched him from in the water. The turtle lowered his head to meet the man's gaze with his own.

"So you have come to say goodbye to me? I can tell you would ask something of me; what is it?"

He sighed, looking up at the turtle.

"I would have you pass this message on when the time comes, Orath. My final shrine is completed, the sanctuary where my last secret will be hidden is complete. Now is the time that I seal it, which means this will be the last time I speak with you. I will be creating a mask when I seal the shrine, called the Fierce Deity. You will know it when it eventually comes to light, for the glint of my power within it, power that you know well. One day people will come seeking to learn the secret I am to hide, bearing with them my mask, and I would have you tell them of my shrine and its location. Tell it only to them, and to no other, that is what I would ask of you."

Orath nodded solemnly.

"I will do as you ask, of that you have my word."

Tekai said nothing else, simply making a gesture and calling up a burst of magic. Seconds later he was no longer in Orath's presence, but rather the chamber where a white dragon would one day loom. Looking around it, he sighed.

"And so this is it... my final act for the sake of the world and my family... Goodbye by dear Karaie, Feruin, Mother... May you live safely in Hyrule, protected by this my sacrifice..."

He walked to the room's centre, bowing his head before beginning to hum. Link, still watching as a spectre, gasped as he recognised the melody. The Song of Healing filled the cavern, power rising, carrying the song in its embrace even as Tekai faded into nothing. A mask clattered to the floor, staring upwards with empty eyes as a whisper rose at the edge of hearing and faded away into silence.

_'I give the last of my life to protect my family, and yet leave a way for those true of heart and intention to find them should the Master Sword be sundered. As I protected in life, so I shall protect in death much like my father. I know my mask will come into the light of the world someday by some circumstance... Fate will ensure it finds its way to the hands of the one who would seek this place and the knowledge it holds. Know this ye who seek the Legacy, just as ye would see the Master Sword whole once more, so must my own sword be before the secret it holds shall you hear.'_

Light flared again, Link finding himself truly in the cavern once more and back in his original form; the Fierce Deity Mask floating in the air before him. As he watched it dissolved into light, forming into ghostly image of the man who had given his life to become it.

Link took a step towards him.

"Tekai?"

The spirit smiled.

"Yes, this time you truly speak to me, and not to an echo which I left to guide you. Your ancestor was a remarkable man, and it pleased me greatly that it was he who gained my mask upon visiting this land. I knew that he was from Hyrule, could sense the Triforce of Courage in his grasp. I knew he'd take it there someday, and that one day someone descendant of him would bring it back here while seeking my father's Legacy. I have no qualms about giving my secret to you, for I know you will use it well..." He held out his hand, a bladeless hilt appearing in his grasp. Link accepted it, as Tekai watched him with hint of amusement in his golden eyes as he then stepped back and began to fade. "I bid you farewell, Hero. Now has come time that I can finally go to my eternal rest. Watch over my descendants for me..."

And with that he was gone, light blazing one last time leaving Link standing out upon Termina Field; his bag and three stunned fairies deposited beside him. Looking at the hilt, he then turned and looked towards the town on the hill above him, eyes moving to rest upon a clock turned by water from a hidden cavern.

"I will, Tekai... I promise that when we find them I'll see to it that they stay safe as you have kept them for so long..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Wipes away a tear) And so Tekai get's his happy ending, sort of, entrusting his family to another...**


	82. Return to Hyrule City

**Alaia Skyhawk: End of the side arcs and back into the stuff in Hyrule. Not long to go now. Just 10 more chapters and this story will be complete, but don't think that the plot twists are over yet... Hehehehehehe.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 82: Return to Hyrule City

-

His heart pounding with anticipation, an urgency much like that which had once driven him to hurry home and come face to face with his father, Link gripped the Red Lion's tiller with a white knuckle grip as he brought the ship to a halt beside the Royal Pier at Hyrule City. It was almost seven months to the day since his and two other ships had departed from this shoreline, two ship that were already moored here again having made it back before him. The people who had sailed on those ships, Aryll, Linebeck, Gerril, they would be in Tetra's study now, waiting for him after his ship would have been spotted approaching on the horizon.

The ship stopped, Link leaping into action and kicking the waiting buffers over the side while Eran threw the mooring lines to those waiting to catch and secure them on the pier. The hero didn't wait any longer than that; as soon as the ship was secure he launched himself up into the air, wings beating to the same rhythm as his heart. Forget _walking_ or _running_ to and then through the castle... Link was going to enter through the study _window_.

The ground fell away beneath him, the streets of the city lying in their patterns before him as he reached the height he needed. Castle walls slid by, and gliding around a turret he found the study window waiting and open ready for him. He plunged through it, skidding to a stop before the people assembled within. Eight sages looked at him hopefully, two Keepers, his father, his sister, and his two friends doing likewise.

Meeting his eyes, Gerril hurried towards him holding a chevron patterned blade in his hands.

"For heaven's sake, Link, don't keep us in suspense."

Link pulled a gold and silver hilt from inside his tunic, lifting the blade from the scout's hands and sliding it into that which he held. With a muffled click the hilt locked into place, the blade immediately beginning to resonate as Tekai's voice filled the room.

_'In the settlement known as Field's Rest, there resides those descendant of me and my divine father Kaiayn. You who seek to re-forge the Master Sword, find them, for only in the hands of one of Kaiayn's blood will the Sacred Blade concede to the flames of its rebirth.'_

Rauru was the one who broke the following silence.

"Field's Rest, it is a town I know well... Many times over the ages it has been damaged by bandits or by war, but always the people returned and repaired it. Only once has it been totally laid to ruin, near the end of the Pre Unification War, and even then the survivors came back and built it anew. They have a saying in that town, passed down from its most ancient past, and the people who live there forever hold to it, never abandoning it even in the direst times... 'People will ever live and be born in this place, and this place will forever keep its name and never be forgotten'. That is what they say."

Link turned to him, startled.

"That's what Tekai's wife, Karaie, said to him just before he left his family at Field's Rest. That's it, almost word for word; that's what I heard her say in that vision I was shown of his past."

Tetra turned to him, her expression enquiring.

"What else were you shown, Link?"

He paused for a moment, glancing down at the now restored sword in his hands.

"I saw him entrust the Windwaker and the secret that went with it to the first King of Hyrule. I saw him entrust the key to the Glacial Shrine to the Frost Deku. I saw him leave the blade at the Mount of Sleeping Fire, and ask the Sea Guardian, Orath, to direct one with the Fierce Deity mask to his shrine in Termina when they came looking for the hilt... And then I saw him give up his life, transforming himself _into_ the Fierce Deity Mask so that he could continue to protect his family even in death..."

"What?!"

That exclamation had come from them all, for Link hadn't revealed to anyone before now what Tekai had shown him. He sighed.

"He used the Song of Healing upon himself, sealing his soul into the mask. He was probably the person who created that song, and for that purpose. After the vision ended and I was standing in the chamber again, the mask crumbled, his soul released from it. I didn't pick the hilt up the way Gerril picked up the blade... Tekai gave me it with his own hand, and asked me to watch over his descendants for him... After that he faded away, finally leaving this world to go to his eternal slumber."

Everyone remained in solemn silence as Saria spoke for them all.

"He asked you... to watch over them?"

Link nodded.

"He did, and I'm going to keep my promise to him."

Tetra moved, turning to face the Sage of Light.

"Then we'll help him keep it. Rauru, was Field's Rest one of the towns brought to the surface? If so do you know where it is now?" The sage nodded. "Then take him there now to look."

Not needing to be told twice, Rauru called up his power and both he and Link disappeared.

Eidan looked around at those who remained.

"Now all we can do is wait..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

In a flare of light they appeared on the edge of the town, the sun shining softly upon them as the hero turned to look at it.

The sage behind him nudged him forwards.

"Go on... If they are here then they are probably waiting for someone to come looking for them bearing that sword. Walk through the town, speak to everyone; if they truly are here then should one see it they will surely recognise it."

Link looked down at the sword again, his grip tightening upon it.

"They've waited here all this time... But after guiding the people of Hyrule so long, why did they stop after the War?"

The Sage sighed.

"Maybe they didn't need to... It was only ten years after the war ended thatHyrule was unified as it had never been before. After Saria and the others awakened to replace those sages that had been lost, and Ganondorf had been sealed away. That was when for the first time Hyllians, Zoras, Gorons, Sheikahs, Kokiri, and Gerudo all stood as one beneath the banner of the Queen of Hyrule. From that day on, until fifteen hundred years later when Ganondorf escaped his prison, all that Hyrule knew was peace and prosperity."

Link sighed.

"And so they've stayed hidden, and waited... until now." He set off towards the town. "I'll be back in a few hours. Hopefully this won't take too long."

Field's Rest was moderate sized as far as towns go, though far bigger than it had been in that vision of the past. Walking through it, Link stopped before each person he met, showing them the distinctive blade but finding no one who knew its significance. Children eyed it with awe, but non held recognition in their eyes; adults saw it with curiosity, but none could say where it was from or who had made it. He searched for over an hour, before an elderly voice called out to him.

"Hey there, young man. Where did you get that?"

Link turned, as the man hobbled over to him with the aid of a cane. There was hope in his voice as he spoke. Was this man one of those he was looking for?

"Do you recognise it? I'm looking for a family that does, who knows who made it."

The old man peered at the blade for a moment longer, before looking up at the hero with faded grey eyes.

"I don't where I'm afraid, but as one of the Town Elders I've seen a blade similar to it. Come with me and I'll show you." He shuffled off down the street, Link following after him until they stopped at what looked like a memorial. The man headed for the wooden doors of the tiny chapel, pulling a key from a chain around hi neck. "This memorial is the heart of this town, built in memory of those that were lost in the attack that laid it to waste at the end of the Pre Unification War. Only the elders of this town are allowed inside it, to protect the items within from thieves." He opened the door gesturing Link to come inside. "I'm making an exception for you, Queen's Champion. I recognise you from a visit I made to Hyrule city about a year ago. If you are here looking for something, then it must be important, so I'll show you what is in here."

The two of them entered, Link following the man's direction as he pointed toward the very back of the simple chapel. Along its sides were alcoves, each holding a distinctive item which was stained by ash and soot from an age past. On the back wall was an engraving: 'People will ever live and be born in this place, and this place will forever keep its name and never be forgotten'. Below it was a simple altar, placed upon which was a fire scorched sword the mirror of the one he held in his hand.

He took a step towards it.

"That sword... But you said this was a memorial to those that were lost..."

The old man nodded sadly.

"And that it is... That sword was placed here in the memory of the family who kept alive those words which are written on the wall above you. It was always held by the head of the family, and it was found clutched in his hand when he was discovered slain in the streets of the town after the battle. His home was one of those completely decimated by the fires that raged that day, and no trace was ever found of his wife and son. He saved many lives that day, and that and their never wavering determination to keep this town alive is the reason we honour them so much to this day."

Link clenched his teeth, hand trembling as he held Tekai's sword. Without another word he turned and ran out of the shrine as the first of many tears of frustration and regret began to run down his face. He didn't stop, never slowing, not until he passed outside of the town and arrived back at Rauru's side.

Dropping the sword to the ground, he slammed his fist into a nearby rock as the tears continued to fall.

"They're _gone!_ They all died when this place was destroyed at the end of the Pre Unification War! They have a memorial in there, with a sword that family owned placed in it. A sword that looks just like Tekai's!" He slammed it again, dropping to his knees as he whispered. "...I promised him..." His voice then rose in denial. "_I promised him that I'd watch over them!_"

Rauru gazed at him in horrified silence, before picking up the dropped blade and taking them back to Hyrule City. When they arrived, it wasn't inside the castle, but rather within the house the hero shared with Mila. Leaving the sobbing man in the upper hallway, the sage descended the stairs to find Mila waiting at their bottom with a puzzled expression on her face.

His expression became grim, as he walked down to meet her and led her into the home's living room.

"I'll tell you what happened. After that I must report it to the queen and my fellow sages..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Pinches Link's shield and holds it up to ward off angry readers) Ahh, don't hit me! I have a reason for this, I swear!**


	83. Not all News is Bad

**Alaia Skyhawk: Ack, I swear there's a reason I did that in the last chapter. I promise you I'm not about to kill anyone else off! (Cowers in corner)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 83: Not all News is Bad

-

The despair that hung over him was like miasma, leaving him without the will to so much as move from where he sat slumped in the upper hallway of his home on Lesser Gate street... He'd made a promise to Tekai and now he couldn't keep it. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, someone then coming down the hall towards him and carefully kneeling down at his side.

A hand was placed on his shoulder, Mila doing her best to comfort him.

"You tried, Link. You can't blame yourself for making a promise only to find that you can't keep it because of something that happened so long ago. Please don't give up, I'm sure we'll find some other way to fix the Master Sword, but until then I need you to keep going for my sake... and for your son..."

Link jerked, turning his head to stare at his wife.

"What did you just say?"

She smiled.

"With all that happened just before you left for Termina, I never realised it. By the time I discovered I was pregnant you'd already been gone a week, so I kept it a secret from everyone until I couldn't hide it anymore. The way things were you were scheduled to get back at around the time I was due, so I made Aryll and Eidan promise not to tell you so that I could surprise you... He was born two days ago. I haven't picked a name, because I wanted _you _to."

Link was still staring in disbelief.

"I'm... a father?"

She nodded with a laugh.

"Yes!" She got up, pulling him to his feet and leading him to the door of the house's second bedroom. She carefully opened the door and crept across the room to the crib near the window. She waved her husband over. "Come take a look at your son."

He hesitated, emotions warring within him as he wanted to stay where he was and yet also wanted to go and look. The latter won and he walked to Mila's side and looked down at the infant sleeping in the crib beside her. In awe, he reached out and with the lightest brush of his fingers touched a wisp of the pale gold hair upon the child's head.

"He's beautiful..."

Mila put her arm around him as she too gazed at their son.

"He is... So what is his name?"

The hero's eyes never moved, refusing to turn away from that perfect little face.

"I have a name... The name of a man who I admire, and who on my journey I learned was wise and kind, and possessed a bravery that I would aspire for my own son to have one day. I might not be able to keep my promise to him, but I can still honour him for what he did for us all... Tekai... Our son's name will be Tekai..."

Mila murmured the name.

"Tekai..."

The two of them remained there, watching their son sleep peacefully as the same peace found its way into his father's heart.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Hoy, Link... So did Mila tell you?"

Link came to a halt, standing in the hallway that led to Tetra's study. Komali stood before him, his expression showing that he'd heard the news from Rauru.

"She did... I've called our son, Tekai. I've spent the better part of a year learning about him, and what a remarkable man he was. After failing in my promise to him, it was the least I could do."

The Rito prince sighed, taking hold of Link's arm and steering him away from the study.

"Tetra's really upset right now, as is Medli. Impa has ordered bed rest for them both, and give their condition I can't blame her."

Link stopped, his expression puzzled.

"Condition?"

Komali grimaced.

"Well you were here and gone so quick that the subject never got the chance to come up... Both of them are expecting, Medli in five months and Tetra in six. With the looser clothing both have been wearing lately you can't really spot it at first, and you had your mind on other things when you came in through the window... Tetra married a month after you left. Her husband is Daneil, the youngest son of Kakariko's mayor. Apparently she'd been seeing him discretely for a while, after arranging things so that the younger sons and daughters of various officials stay at the castle to get to know her ways of leadership. He asked her just after you left, and she didn't want to drag everyone she'd sent out back again. She's held off his coronation as king though, so you all get to witness that."

Once again Link had been reduced to shocked silence, before finally managing to splutter.

"What is this? National Saviours of the Great Sea have kids year?!"

The prince winced.

"Don't take it too personally; everyone who was out on the searches was kept in the dark. At the very least it gives us something positive to look forward to after what happened today... Tetra's already decided to keep it secret from the population. As far as they'll know we've gotten some information from our searches and that we just have to put it together so we can fix the sword. I don't think any of us want to see what would happen if we told them that the line descended from Kaiayn died out two and a half thousand years ago."

Link sighed.

"You're right. All we can do now is keep trying to find another way to fix the sword. With any luck, and if the gods are willing, we'll find one."

The two of them turned down another hallway, entering the room that was Eidan's office. Link's father looked up at them as they entered, his expression haunted as he then looked again at the map he had on the table before him. It was a map of Pre Sealing Hyrule, and one town marker on the eastern side of the Hyrule Field Province had been circled... Field's Rest.

He stared at it.

"All that searching... for nothing. Our hope is as dead as if the gods had blasted it out of the skies..."

Link frowned, striding over and dragging his father to his feet.

"Quit whining about it! It's hit me harder than you, and_ I've _not given up hope! Now pull yourself together and help me look after this kingdom and its people! In six months time Tetra's not going to be in a position to run things for a while, and when that time comes it will be you and me, as her Advisor and her Champion, who have to do the work in her stead. I'm going to do everything I can to keep this country together for my son, and as he's _your_ grandson I expect you to do the same!"

He let go, his stunned father dropping back into his seat. Link just glowered down at him from the other side of the desk, the sight of his father giving up so easily stirring up anger within himself. He wasn't going to give up, no matter what might happen.

Eidan looked back at him, his expression slowly becoming calm. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"And to think it's taken my son to teach me something that I in my personal experience should have known already. Lack of hope didn't stop me trying to get home, and it's not going to stop us now. I'm with you, Link, so now let's get to work looking after this kingdom."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Aww, cute father/son fluff. I've been waiting ages to write that.**


	84. Preparing for a new arrival

**Alaia Skyhawk: I'm being nice to them for a few chapters now :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 84: Preparing for a new arrival

-

Crowds cheered as the man walked through the streets with his escort; his sapphire eyes the only part of his face showing apprehension, although it was barely visible. He'd come quite a way from the young man who had been introduced to the queen that day four days before her Champion's wedding. Back then he'd been clean shaven, his hair cut short, but these past seven months since he'd asked her to marry him he'd grown his jet black hair out into the shoulder length style traditional of Hyrule's kings, a close cut beard now lining his jaw. As his left side walked his father, whose face was lit up with pride, and at his right was the Queen's Champion, to whom he murmured discretely.

"It wasn't this bad when I married Tetra, I feel like my legs are going to melt from under me."

His expression not changing, Link murmured back.

"Probably because this time you're walking the streets without her and heading to be crowned king. The last time you did this it was just to say 'I do'... You've got a lot more to vow to this time."

Daneil winced slightly, keeping his composure remarkable well given how nervous he was.

"Probably..." The cheers grew louder, the echoes stronger as the king-to-be and the escort came out into the market square. He gulped. "I think facing down the King of Evil couldn't have been scarier than this."

Link chuckled.

"I thought a similar thing at my formal wedding, and I'm a guy who _has_ faced down the King of Evil. Just keep walking and smile, you'll get the words out ok."

The ebon haired man swallowed again.

"Thanks... I think."

They crossed the remaining distance to the centre of the square, to where upon the raised stone dais that lay there stood Hyrule's queen.

Tetra smiled as her husband, his father, and her champion moved forward out of their circle of guards to climb the stairs of the dais; the latter two stopping just below the top to leave Daneil to reach the top alone. As he knelt before her she looked out at the crowd.

"People of Hyrule, I have called you here to witness this momentous day. Today this land will once again have a king!" The cheers rose anew, as Tetra then gazed again at the man before her. "Daneil Serian Hyrule, do you swear to serve this Kingdom, its People, and the Throne which I, Tetra Zyara Hyrule, represent?"

He lifted his head as he replied.

"I, Daneil Serian Hyrule, swear to serve this Kingdom, its People, and the Throne. Until the end of my days my life belongs to Hyrule; I will serve, guide, and protect it until that day comes."

Mila came forward from behind Tetra, carrying a scarlet cushion upon which a crown was set. Tetra picked it up, turning back to her husband and lowering it onto his head.

"Then I, Queen Zyara, crown you King of Hyrule. Long may you reign beside me."

The thunderous roar of approval greeted this announcement, as Daneil rose to his feet and he and Tetra began the long walk back to the castle, side by side.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was late, the celebration finally winding down as the guests made their way back to rooms within the castle, or homes and inns out among the reveller packed streets of the city. The queen and the king now returning to their chambers, they were stopped by a voice as they passed the end of one of the upper hallways.

Link stood at the door of his father's office, beckoning the two to come in.

"Tetra, Daneil, we have something we want to give you."

Frowning in confusion, the pair entered the office to find both Eidan and Aryll were also within.

Tetra looked at them, puzzled.

"What is it?"

With a conniving smile, Eidan pulled two small dark wooden boxes out of one of his desk drawers, handing them to his two children.

"We've talked about this and we all agree, these belong with the two of you. We entrust them to you, as Kaiayn and Tekai entrusted them to the first leaders of this kingdom."

Aryll stopped before Tetra, opening her box to reveal the blue and silver ocarina within.

"The Ocarina of Time, looked after by the descendants of the Hero of Time, now returns to the hand of Hyrule's queen."

Link stopped before Daneil, opening his box to reveal a long white baton.

"And the Windwaker, entrusted to me by Daphnes Nohassan Hyrule, now returns to the hand of Hyrule's King...

Eidan came forward to stand between his children.

"This is where they are meant to be, and we're honoured to be the ones to return them."

Tetra took the box from Aryll, as her husband took the one from Link.

"Everything is coming full circle, it seems. Sacred items returning to their traditional holders, the kingdom rebuilt upon the Great Sea, the next generation soon to come, for us to watch over until it is time that we hand care of the land over to them." She placed her hand on her stomach, thinking about the new life that she carried within. "This feels right, feels like this is how it's meant to be."

Daneil put his free arm around her, turning his head to look at the trio.

"Thank you. We swear we'll look after them just as those before us have done."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

He smiled, paint brush gliding over wood as he decorated the cradle, the sound of his child gurgling in his mother's arms reaching his ears. He'd wanted to do this, build a cradle for his child to use. The one they had now had been borrowed from a friend, but this one would be infinitely more special. Dipping his brush into the pot of yellow paint at his side, he made one final stroke to complete the ring around the Triforce symbol at the cradle's head. His family's crest now looked back at him, as it would stand watch over the child which would lie within. He set the brush down, running his fingers over the polished wood of the cradle's side. He'd put a lot of care into this, more so than he'd even put in when he'd built the Red Lion. He wanted this to last, to be passed to future generations, so that one day his son Tekai might lay a child of his own within it.

"Link, dinner's almost ready..."

He got up, heading into the kitchen and lifting his son from Mila's arms, freeing her to finish cooking the food while he sat Tekai in the cushioned high chair he'd also built. The boy was six months old now, and had recently learned to sit up if supported. Link handed him a knitted yellow ball, a ball with crocheted wings so it looked like a fairy. That had been a present from Linebeck, who had commented that watching Tekai chew on 'Sparkles' would be fun. Chew was what the child immediately began to do, and continued to do so while his father set the table.

Link sat down in his chair, as Mila brought two plates of food over and set them down before sitting opposite him.

"I wonder how much longer it's going to be... Tetra went into labour yesterday, and there's still been no word from the castle."

Mila paused, before resuming cutting into the meat on her plate.

"Don't worry about it, Impa is with her. Besides, look at Medli; she took _two_ days to bring Makuli into the world and she was fine after she'd rested for a bit... Though Komali still can't fly properly after she almost crushed his hand."

Link let out a snort of laughter, remembering the pained expression on the prince's face as he held his son for the first time, his left hand mottled blue with bruises from Medli's grip on it towards the end of her labour.

"Yeah, and to think that she's already talking about having another. She's certain the next will be a girl; if it is she's going to call her Laruta, after her ancestor Laruto."

Mila sighed.

"It's strange to think how little time it's been since we were children ourselves; strange to think that all of us now are having families of our own."

Link sighed as well.

"Well as the Sage of Wisdom once told my ancestor, 'Time flows and people change, like a river's flow it never ends'. Everything has to begin and end somewhere, and now the time of the next generation has started. All we have to do is protect this world so that there's something for them when time comes that they take the next step as we have."

"You're right."

Both of them suddenly turned, the distant sound of joyously ringing bells reaching their ears. With a grin both of them leapt to their feet, bundling up their son and heading for the castle. The heir to Hyrule's throne had been born.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was a gathering of familiar faces that crowded around the bed, the new mother resting upon it holding the child in her arms with the infinitely tender expression that only mothers seem to have lighting her face as her husband sat on the edge of the bed beside her. She looked tired, but also radiant, as her baby daughter snuffled in her gentle embrace.

Saria leaned forward, the child-like girl the picture of youthful exuberance as she stared entranced by the tiny new life in Tetra's arms.

"What are you going to call her?"

The rest of the sages and her other friends looked on with smiles, as Tetra looked at her husband before murmuring.

"Saphali..." She looked down again at her daughter. "Saphali Zalia Hyrule..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Aww, cute stuff :D**


	85. They're Adorable unless They're Yours

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, a little fun now.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 85: They're Adorable unless They're Yours

-

"For Goddesses' sake! Can't you stop him _screaming?!_"

Navi dropped to the floor, fingers crammed into her ears as she tried to blank out the shrieking coming from her friend's son. Link was desperately trying to quiet Tekai down, but it seemed the eighteen month old was determined to keep wailing at the top of his lungs.

For a brief moment he actually held his son at arm's length, before deciding that that would probably make him scream more. Pulling his son close again he eyed the fairy enviously, at least her hands were _free_ to block her ears, he unfortunately was holding the _source _of the racket.

"He's teething, what do you expect?! Uuhhnn... Why did I let Mila talk me into watching him alone while Grandma introduces her to everyone on the island?"

Cringing as his son continued to scream, Link headed for one of the two benches in the corner of Vallandra's house. Coming to Outset to visit her and show her her great grandson had seemed a great idea when they were back in Hyrule City, and Tekai had taken to the sea voyage without such as a whimper the entire trip. Why oh why was it only _now _that he decided to act up?

Link sat down, daydreaming about beating his head off the nearest wall, which of course as long as he had to keep an eye on his son, he couldn't. Two months ago this had been a regular occurrence, with Tekai bursting into tears and screams within ten minutes of being left alone with his father. Since then the child had stopped, seeming to be perfectly fine when in Link's sole care which is why he'd agreed to this trip since his son had seemed to grow out of that quirk... Oh how _wrong_ they'd been.

Watching as the hero tried yet again to quiet his son, Navi then flew around the corner of the L-shaped room and to the hearth. She picked up a spoon from the nearby basket, flying up to the hanging cooking pots and banging a couple of them. The ringing sound cut through Tekai's wailing, and actually made him stop for a moment.

Navi perked up.

"Hey, this works! Shall I do it again?"

Link nodded urgently.

"Yes!"

Navi proceeded to fly back and forth along the hanging pots, playing a tune on them once she learnt what sound each one made. Tekai began to laugh in delight at the sounds, encouraging the fairy to even more complicated turns, sending her zipping back and forth along the pots above the hearth.

"Hey! This is fun!"

Tekai continued to gurgle happily, while Link watched his friend's antics with a smile... It was then that the door opened, two women entering with frowns on their faces.

Mila scowled.

"Navi! Stop that this instant! I don't want you teaching my son to do that; he'd have the pots all over the house!"

The fairy, surprised by the sudden reprimand, let go of her spoon mid swing, causing it to bounce off the pot she was aiming for and send it flying... Taking several other pots with it. She scrambled to catch them.

"Ahh! Oops! Whoa! Umpph!"

There was a resounding series of clangs, the child in Link's arms just gurgling even more. Mila sighed with resignation, she and Vallandra hurrying round to the heart.

Mila began picking up the pots.

"That fairy..."

Vallandra looked around at the mess, puzzled.

"Speaking of which... where is she?"

The two women looked at each other, before Mila turned over all the pots on the floor to find Navi wasn't under _any_ of them. Now also confused, Mila looked around baffled.

"Where could she have gone?" In the pause that followed they heard a frantic tapping and muffled yelling. "Did you hear that? Where... Oh!"

It was then that the pot of soup on the hearth caught their attention, a pot from the wall above partially sunk into the soup and still sinking. Vallandra grabbed a pot holder and lifted it out, after which she fishing the scorched fairy out from her impromptu bath by one wing.

Navi just hung there groaning.

"Hooooooooot... So hooot... Uuhhhhhhhhnnn..."

As the three adults stared at her in silence, Tekai broke it by bursting into amused chortles.

Link looked down at him speculatively.

"Hmm, splat the fairy and he smiles..."

Navi muttered from across the room.

"Don't you _dare_ get any ideas!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Three watchers gazed down at the scene, the gold and green one of the trio wincing.

"I'm glad that kid isn't mine..."

Nayru rolled her eyes.

"What, and Zephos'ir and Cyclos'an are any better, Farore? Those two cause trouble in the Realm of the Gods on a near daily basis!"

Din shook her head, taking Farore's side.

"It's not like your daughter Tierma'an behaves by the strict line of the rules. That Goddess of Time has interfered on more than a few occasions when really she shouldn't have."

As the Goddess of Wisdom was about to retort, her mother's voice cut her off.

Kyayna regarded the three of them, unimpressed as she commented blandly.

"You three were no angels yourselves when you were that age... Gods may grow up in just a couple of years, but before they do you have children whose temper tantrums can flatten mountains... Which I had to stop all three of you from doing to a number of the worlds I created myself on several occasions in fact... Poor Oshus lost two of his islands to a tidal wave you three caused on his world."

All three goddesses winced, before ceasing their argument and resuming their watch once more.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Da! ...Da da da!"

Daneil lifted his giggling daughter up into the air, smiling in joy.

"That's my clever little girl. Mommy's gone to get you a special cake? Who's gone to get you a cake? Mommy has!"

Saphali gurgled, her blue eyes dancing beneath a mop of golden curls.

"Ma! Ma ma!"

Her father took her over to a circle of cushions on the floor, setting her down in the middle of them. While the entire kingdom would be celebrating this day, the now one year old princess was being kept within the privacy of his and Tetra's apartments within the castle. Now a year old, Saphali eyed everything that came into reach with intense curiosity, and that very trait had forced the couple to ensure that nothing, not even anything on the walls, hung down low enough for the little girl to reach. This being due to the fact that just two days previous the little princess had almost had one of the tapestries off the wall by grabbing onto and hauling on its lower edge.

He watched her begin to play with the soft and bright coloured toys that were scattered among the cushions.

"Time goes so fast when they're young... It's hard to believe that it was just a year ago that I held you for the first time."

"Yes, and two weeks later you were walking around the castle bumping into the walls from lack of sleep... We both were." Tetra was standing at the door into the apartment, carrying a plate with a small cake on it. She smiled and walked over. "If it weren't for Link and Eidan running things those first few weeks I think either of us could have made a colossal mistake somewhere. Remind me to thank them again the next time I see them."

Daneil put his arm around her as she sat down on the cushion beside him.

"That might be a while. He's only been back on Windfall for three months and is still sorting out this year's reports on the planting, and the trade for the first quarter. Not to mention organising the refurbishment of several of the Trade Platforms. Those old moblin towers haven't been touched since they were first converted, and several have developed leaking roofs and loose walkways."

Tetra sighed.

"I know, I know, that's why I sent him back to Windfall. It shouldn't be too big of a job though, and the funding for it is a lot better than when I first commissioned them. The Crown is getting three times the taxes it was getting three years ago..." She blinked. "Three years... Has it really been that long since this all started? The new lands, everything?"

Daneil chuckled.

"It has, as hard as that is to believe. Now are you going to give your daughter her cake or are you planning on eating it all by yourself?"

She slapped him playfully.

"We're to share it. Impa told me in no uncertain terms that our daughter is too young to be eating a lot of cake, so we're only allowed to give her a _small_ piece of it."

The two of them smiled at each other happily, before resuming watching their daughter's play once more.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was with a contented smile that she placed her son in his high chair, putting several pieces of soft fruit on the tray in front of him to keep him occupied while she tended to his sister. Medli then headed for the basket in the corner, from which the snuffling of a baby could be heard. Just as she had wished, and much to Komali's dismay, Medli got her second child despite his being careful in certain matters. Makuli had only been four months old when Laruta was conceived, and now at thirteen months he had a little sister.

Extremely pleased with herself, the Earth Sage returned to her son's side and sat in a chair at the table so that she could coo over both of her children. She smiled.

"I guess Valoo was right. Makuli looks so much like his father, and Laruta so much like me, that it's clear each will continue mine and Komali's bloodlines. Makuli born first, as the next prince of the Rito, and my darling little girl born to follow me as attendant to Lord Valoo. All things happen for a reason, and as a Sage I can hardly complain."

"You're rather cheerful this morning. I would have thought you'd be in bed still." Komali looked into the living area of their home; a series of well furnished chambers carved into the solid rock of Dragon Roost Island. He sighed. "At least you didn't crush my hand this time around."

His wife laughed.

"Yes, it _would _be rather inconvenient for you to be unable to fly again."

His expression one of long suffering, he headed for the kitchen area in the corner to find something to eat.

"Please don't remind me. Being stuck on the ground like that for three weeks wasn't funny. Though with all the extra work I'm getting from my father now, I haven't had that much time for flying anyway."

Medli stroked Laruta's wispy auburn hair.

"Well talk about the aerie has it that he's planning to stand down as Chief soon. You're almost twenty years old now, Komali, and he became chief at nineteen..."

She stopped as a shiver ran down her spine. Eyes suddenly wide as the urgent whispers of the Earth Spirits brushed her mind. Laruta immediately began to wail, her brother Makuli still eating his fruit without reacting in the slightest.

Komali lurched to his feet while Medli began trying to calm her daughter.

"Medli, what is it?"

Her daughter still crying, she looked up at him with fearful eyes.

"The Earth Spirits are calling me... Something is wrong..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Dun dun dun! Those who remember the concerns of the Goddesses from a while back will be able to guess what the 'something wrong' is.**


	86. First Hint of Warning

**Alaia Skyhawk: Uh oh... trouble is on the horizon...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 86: First Hint of Warning

-

"Is something wrong, Link?"

Mila climbed up through the cabin hatch of the Red Lion, Tekai secure below and put to bed for the night. She headed towards Link, who was sat at the tiller frowning. As she sat down beside him, he spoke in a voice which held an edge of unease.

"Something's not right... All the way from Outset, all the way through the South Passage, I haven't seen a single Kargorock or Sea Octo. The route we took we should have at least seen octos when we passed Shark Island, but I've not seen as much as a tentacle... It's not right. My head is telling me it's not right, and so is my heart." He looked at her. "Remember what Marren and Irreilla said back on Outset; that Lord Jabun was uneasy. If a Guardian Spirit is feeling what I am, then I can't be imagining it. Something just _isn't_ right."

He shook his head, before rubbing it with a grimace. Mila looked at him with concern.

"Are you alright?"

He sighed, turning his gaze back to the sea ahead as they continued along the shore of the Inner Sea towards Hyrule City.

"It's just a headache. I've been under a fair bit of stress this last year with raising Tekai and running the Kingdom for Tetra until Saphali was old enough to spend more time with Impa. With that and this feeling that's bothering me, it's probably because I'm tense." He shivered a little. "Though I can't help the feeling that something keeps creeping up behind me, whispering in my ear too quiet for me to make out the words... Sometimes I can tell that those words are something urgent, but when I try to focus on them and make them out they just fade away." He closed his eyes. "It makes me wonder if I'm losing my mind or something."

Mila thumped his shoulder.

"Don't talk like that! You are _not_ losing your mind! What about Aryll, and all those strange dreams she's had lately? The ones she can never remember when she wakes up. She's picking up on this as well, and we know from past experience that her dreams are prophetic."

Link opened his eyes again.

"It still makes me wonder..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Medli, are you sure you should be doing this?"

Komali watched uneasily as his wife packed everything that was needed to care for her newborn daughter into a bag, ready to take to another family among those in the aerie. She stopped for a moment and turned to him.

"I have to, my duty as the Earth Sage is calling me. This is too important to ignore." She resumed what she was doing. "I've found a wet nurse for Laruta, so she'll be fine while I'm gone. I've already arranged for someone to help you look after Makuli."

He took a step towards her.

"But, Medli..."

He stopped as she sighed and closed the bag, the packing complete.

"I don't _want_ to go, but I must... The family I've asked will be here for Laruta shortly. I'll come back as soon as I can..."

She dropped the bag, vanishing in a flare of light as her husband shouted after her.

"_Medli!_"

She reappeared in the skies well south of the island, an orb of light streaking south-west towards the Earth Temple. If she'd had eyes at this moment, tears would have been falling from them.

_I'm sorry..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Light streaked across the sky south-east of them, sending Link leaping to his feet to turn and follow its path with his eyes. It was going south-west, and he knew right away who it was.

"Medli... Medli's heading to the Earth Temple, now I _know_ that something is up. There's no way she'd leave Dragon Roost at this time if the Earth Spirits hadn't called her."

He sat down again, silently urging his ship to go faster. It was pitch black now, only the stars above him and the lights of Hyrule City ahead to guide him. Mila was below deck with their son, having been sent there by him once night had fallen.

_Please let us find out soon what is going on._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

She stood alone, alone within an abyss of white. Nothing broke that eternity of light, of endless silence and solitude. Standing there, Aryll felt fear rising as from the nothingness a set of golden scales appeared before her. She took a step towards them, looking into the flat bottomed disks that hung one from each side of the balance. In the one on the left there was water, undulating like the sea; in the other there was a scattering of islands lying on the golden surface. As she watched, golden light caused more land to appear in the disk on the right, one large piece becoming the now familiar form of the Mainland. Despite the increase in land though, the balance remained level.

She took another step, stopping as the land disk began to sink lower. It was then that tendrils of water reached out from the sea disk, cutting into the land and reducing it back to the islands it had been at the beginning. The balance became level again, as her heart began to pound...

With a gasp she sat upright, almost falling out of bed as with her mind she reached out to her father and brother.

_/Dad! Link! I saw it, in a dream! The new land is all going to disappear! ./_

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

She rushed into the temple's sacred chamber, her fingers already strumming the strings of her harp as she called the Spirits forth.

"I'm here! What is it you have to tell me?!"

The whispers that had called her here grew louder, their agitation stirring fear into her soul.

_Ware... The balance between land and sea has shifted, and the waters seek to regain that which was taken from them... Your efforts held the balance steady for a time, but that time has now passed. The Balance is rising, and only the Sages can subdue it..._

The voices faded, and without a moment's hesitation Medli turned and sprinted for the exit. She didn't need any other explanation from the Spirits... She already knew deep down in her dread filled heart what their warning meant...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Short, but when I plotted these chapters out a few months ago I didn't know at the time how much would go into them for the scenes I plotted, without pointlessly dragging them out and spoiling the tension. Now, on to the next one!**


	87. Terrible Dilemma

**Alaia Skyhawk: So close... so close to the end... MUST KEEP WRITING! (I ended up chapter merging again. Why I originally set two such a short scenes as a chapter all on their own, for chapter 87, I have no idea. The last scene in this is what would have originally been chapter 88 :S)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

-

Chapter 87: Terrible Dilemma

-

They were all in Tetra's study, sat around the large table within but for Eidan and Aryll. The man comforting his fifteen year old daughter as they sat on the bench by the wall, after the bout of near hysterics she'd been in when Link had pulled them both to this room; after he himself had once again made a hasty entrance into it via the window. The dream she'd described, the implications of it, brought a pall of dread to those assembled here. If Aryll was right, what were they going to do?

Tetra paced back and forth, fighting the urge to chew her fingernails as Komali, who had come to tell her about Medli's sudden departure, looked on.

"If Aryll is right then it explains Medli heading to the Earth Temple. But if she's right then I have a _major_ problem. Hyrule's population is _triple_ what it was before all this started, and the land we had with the habitable and farmable islands then was only just enough to support us. There's no way the original amount of land can sustain the population as it is now. I have thousands of people living on the new lands, and if those lands go then I have nowhere to send them. I don't even have enough ships to send them to Termina or the Ice Lands, nor the supplies for those ships even if I _did_ have them!"

Eidan regarded her from his seat beside his daughter.

"If Link were to sail for Termina again, then working with me and Aryll we might be able to transport people in small groups directly. I'm not sure if we'd be capable of doing it over that great a distance, but it's something to consider."

The young queen stopped in her pacing, a nod from Link and Aryll telling her that if worse came to worst they were willing to try it.

She sighed.

"Things had only just _really _settled down. This kingdom is truly unified again, and now this could very well tear it apart." Islanders, their homes safe, having to turn away the Mainlanders, whom would resent that they and not the Islanders are the ones who will lose everything."

The true dreadful implications washed over them, reducing the four Hyllians and the Rito to silence... Losing the land could drive the two sides to war...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Feet brushed upon the rocks, hesitant as their owner landed atop them where Two Eye Reef had once sat upon the waves. She walked along a shore born of godly power three years previous, and reached out within it with her powers as the Sage of Earth.

Medli searched them, searched the rock that stretched between her and the sea floor far below. All seemed fine, solid and stable, still tinged with the power she had used to stop it tearing apart as it rose to the surface. She continued to look, until with a heavy heart she found that which she had hoped not to. A small point, barely the size of her fist, now depleted of the power that had protected it. That point was even now crumbling, just as she now knew every piece of new land would crumble once the last traces of her power were gone.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip as tears of frustration flowed down her face.

Why? Why did this have to happen?

She opened them again, turning to face towards the north, her senses picking up the passage of her fellow sages towards Hyrule City. They would know from the spirits in their own temples that something was wrong. Not exactly what was wrong, but still, they would be aware of it deep down as for all but Makar it was _their_ lands that were under threat.

She leapt up into the air, streaking away like a falling star upon whom she might have wished for the sake of the people.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A hand thumped down onto the table, making a pencil set upon it rattle and roll towards the hero sat at one end. As he picked it up, the Sage of Spirit stared in disbelief at Tetra.

"Are you _joking?!_ You must be!" She threw her arms up into the air, her fellow sages looking on as she continued her tirade. "This can _not_ be happening! I knew the spirits in my temple were upset, but _not because they are about to be forced to learn how to swim!_"

The queen, advisor, sister, and champion all winced, the lattermost beginning to draw circles on a scrap of paper he'd found on the table.

"And you think that _we_ like the idea any better than you? We're not certain yet if it's going to happen, but the way things are it looks very likely."

"And I hate to be the one to tell you, but it _will_ happen if we do not stop it..."

The window had been open still from when Link had arrived, and now upon the 'sill stood Medli; her expression grave.

Rauru turned to face her, a hand gesture from him stopping the demand the Spirit Sage had been about to voice.

"Medli... Please tell us what you know."

She looked at the floor.

"It seems the Goddesses created the new land in a way that would not disturb the balance so long as a force would oppose that of the sea to preserve it. When the land rose I expended a great deal of power into the lands to stabilise them and prevent huge earthquakes, but what I didn't realise back then is that that power remained in the lands afterwards, holding back the sea. Over the past three years the force of the sea has whittled away than energy, and now in places it is being depleted completely... The land at those points crumbling to dust." She clenched her fists. "All the new land will disappear once my power within it runs out. At best I'd say we have about a month before large sections begin to fail. After that it could take as little as a week for it to all crumble."

Nabouru almost exploded.

"Then why don't you put more power into the lands?"

"Because I _can't!_" The Spirit Sage took a step back as the Rito woman glared at her. "I could do it the first time because the six of you were still asleep! Now that you're awake the new lands are _your_ domain! If power is to be sent through the new lands to shield them, it _must_ come from the six of you!"

Her counterpart now silenced, Ruto regarded her cousin with an expression of hopelessness.

"But with the Sacred Realm still sealed to us, we simply don't have access to the amount of power that you're implying we'll need."

Darunia cursed.

"Which puts us right back where we were two years ago. A broken key to the Realm and no way to fix it.

The Gerudo woman resumed her angry mutterings.

"Great... Just great... So we have no way of fixing the Master Sword and getting into the Sacred Realm... Not exactly a happy thought when the ground is literally starting to _crumble beneath you!_"

No one spoke; Link, who was still silent as he'd been since the irate woman had arrived, still drawing over and over the symbol he'd repeatedly sketched on his piece of paper.

Being the first to finally notice this, Saria frowned.

"Is something wrong, Link? You're very quiet, and why do you k..."

Nabouru interrupted her, shouting in exasperation.

"Of _course_ something's wrong! We have about a month to stop what's happening or we're going to have _thousands_ of people without land to live on!"

Saria glared at her fellow sage.

"If you'd have let me finish, I was about to ask him why he's drawing the symbol of the Temple of Courage. He's been doing it for several minutes by the amount of that paper he's covered with it."

Link put down his pencil, looking up at her, frowning. He held up the paper.

"This is the symbol of the Temple of Courage?"

Tetra looked over at him.

"Of course it is; we found that out when I sent a work crew to clean up the area around the temple entrance. They sent back a sketch of it after they'd cleaned all the moss off the consecration stone. Surely you remember me showing you it."

Eidan turned slowly to regard her.

"Actually, it was _me_ you showed it to, after you showed the Sages, and Link was never told about that crew. It was just after Link and Mila headed off to Outset to visit Vallandra... He's _never_ seen that report..."

Link stumbled to his feet, looking down at the drawings on the paper in his hand.

"But... I've seen this symbol before. Seen it several times over the past three years." They all turned and stared at him as he continued. "I first saw it in a dream I had of the past just after the new lands rose, a dream about when Saria gave that ocarina to my ancestor. I've seen it since then, every time I use my magic to transport my father or my sister to where I am it flashes before my eyes... It's been bugging me for _three years_... Bugging me like those dumb whispers that keep creeping up on me..." He looked up as he realised something. "Bugging me ever since around the time that the Master Sword was broken..."

Ruto and the other sages stared at him in shock.

"But that... That's what happened to us when our temples called out to us"

Saria clenched her hands, eyes fixed on him.

"The whispers that creep up on you... The symbol of the temple haunting you... When my temple was tainted with evil, when I couldn't hear the awakening call, that's _exactly_ what it was like!"

Link began to splutter.

"You think _I_ could be the next Sage of Courage?! That _I'm_ descended from Tekai? But how could that be possible?"

Eidan began to splutter as well.

"Y-you mean _we_, my family, could be Kaiayn's lost Legacy? I won't deny it makes a lot of sense given our family's history and abilities, but if we are then you're saying we're descended from a man who used to be a _god_..."

Link shook his head, trying to make sense of everything.

"And what about the family left at Field's Rest? We know that the village of Fields Rest was destroyed just before the end of the Pre-Unification War, and that the head of the family was killed there along his wife and son."

Saria smiled in triumph as she pointed at him.

"But that man back at the town said that the wife and son were never found! Field's Rest, before the Sealing, was on the eastern edge of Hyrule Field Province! It was less than _ten miles_ from the Kokiri Forest! That time when Field's Rest was burned to the ground, that was about the _exact _same time as when the Great Deku Tree was entrusted a child by a dying Hyllian woman; a woman who had injuries from some sort of battle! That child was your ancestor! The Hero of Time!"

Link began to stutter.

"B-but... T-there _must_ be some way to test it, to prove if someone _is_ descended from Kaiayn, but what?"

Several of the sages present moved to speak up, but stopped as Link suddenly began looking around for the source of a voice that had just as suddenly begun speaking in his head.

_Maybe I can help with that..._

He continued to search.

"What the...? Who said th..?"

His voice was cut of, as in an instant he vanished into thin air...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: WOO HOO! I kept you all off the truth for the whole fic! I even had one reader, who was guessing Tekai was his ancestor, change their mind! XD**


	88. Revelations

**Alaia Skyhawk: MUAHAHAHAHA! On the brink of oblivion the author gives them salvation! XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

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Chapter 88: Revelations

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One moment he was in a room with the sages, his friends, and his family, the next all he could see was white... Frozen in surprise at being confronted with this shining abyss, he was all set to scream in terror at the sheer _emptiness_ of it when that voice speaking again stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that, you might distract my daughters... They're very busy right now, watching over what is happening in the world I just brought you from, but talking at a _normal_ volume won't alert them to your being here..."

He spun around to see a woman with the same amber eyes and silver hair as Kaiayn, and looking at her there was no way he'd mistake her for anything _but_ a goddess. Not far beyond her he could see three others watching an image of all too familiar lands set in sea, figures of golden hair and robes, highlighted each with red, blue, and green respectively. It was the Golden Goddesses of the Triforce, the piece of their sacred treasure he held trembling with restless energy in their presence. Turning his eyes back on the one who had brought him here, he spoke in a voice that shook.

"Who are you, what is this place, and why have you brought me here?"

He bit down on his lip when he realised that he might not have exactely been tactful, since his tone had held a note of reproach despite the shaking.

The goddess smiled at him, her eyes as kind and understanding as her voice.

"I am Kyayna'ai, the Goddess of Creation, and this is the Realm of the Gods. As for why I brought you hear, you wanted to know a simple way to confirm if a person is indeed descended from a god, did you not?"

Relaxing a little as he realised she had taken no offence, Link replied.

"Yes I did, My Lady."

She chuckled, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"Come now, I would hardly have told you my name if I didn't want you to use it. There's no need for you to be so formal."

Caught off guard, the young man hesitated before responding.

"If that's what you want, Kyayna'ai. So, are you going to tell me how to do it?"

Her silvery laughter surrounded him as she smiled with something akin to triumph.

"Ah, but you've just answered that yourself. Only one related to a god can speak a god's true name, and you just spoke mine... The only mortals related to the gods are my son, Kaiayn'no's, descendants, which means that you just proved to yourself that you _are_ descended from him. Why do you think the 'Golden Goddesses' are called Din, Nayru, and Farore in your world, when their names are actually Din'ira, Nayru'ine, and Farore'na? It's because no mortals can speak the true name of a god, no mortals save you and your family." He stared at her, stunned, while she reached out and brushed a strand of blond hair out of his face. "Come now, Link'iru, since you learnt the truth of your family's connection to the Hero of Time you've felt deep down that there was more to it. Is it really so surprising to learn that you're the many _many_ times great grandson of the Goddess of Creation, and related to the goddesses that created the world that is your home?"

Link's eyes seemed to clear of their confusion, her speaking of his true name sending a shiver of knowing through him. That name was his right, as the descendant of one who was divine, he too had a divine name that could be spoken only by family. Hearing it was like waking up from a dream where he'd only been half aware. He could now _feel_ the spark of potential deep inside him, and was sure of himself as he had never been before as the distant whisper of a temple pulled at him, a whisper he now realised truly _had _been there ever since the land had begun to rise from the sea.

"Grandmother, I must go back. To my father Eidan'ne, and my sister Aryll'ya... And my son Tekai'no. Hyrule needs me, the Temple of Courage is calling... I have something I must do..."

Kyayna nodded, her eyes were filled with pride.

"Yes, my dearest descendant, you must restore the temple and reforge the Master Sword. Only _then_ can the Sages of the Sacred Realm reopen the door to their deepest power and bind the land as one once more." She glanced at her daughters, who were still oblivious to Link's presense. "I think your aunts will be most annoyed with me when they find out what I've just done, but then I _am_ the Goddess of Creation, and I _do_ hate seeing things destroyed. Go, go and save the lands that are your home... Sage of Courage."

Link smiled at her, amused at the thought of his divine aunts being annoyed at their mother. Nodding once in farewell, he reached out with his power and pushed himself back into the Mortal Realm...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The map room was chaos as a torrent of exclaimations at the hero's dissapearance filled the air. Barely a minute had passed when Aryll, who had retreated to a corner, gasped as a vision washed over her and she shouted with triumph.

"Link! He's going to the Temple of Courage!"

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He appeared in the middle of the clearing, right in the centre of the temple's consecration stone. The people who had stood watch over this place since clearing up the area were caught completely off guard by his sudden appearance. But their surprised shouts barely registered in his awareness, as he reached deep into the temple and called it into full wakefulness once more.

The ground shuddered, the hill just beyond the temple entrance groaning as it lurched upwards, the chambers below returning to their original state. Everything became still, before Link began to walk forward, the divine essense his anscestor had left here infusing him with the power he needed for this task and turning his hair purest white by the ancient nd divine blood in his veins. Entering the Temple of Courage he passed through the first great room, its sides bearing doors leading to side chambers, and through the door to the stairs beyond. Reaching the bottom he passed through another chamber the mirror of the first, and again descended a set of stairs. A third great chamber met him, but the stairs beyond this one rather than being straight, spiraled downwards for what would seem to be an eternity before he entered the first of the three final rooms between him and his goal. The doors opened before him, and at long last he found himself in the temple's Sacred Chamber, that room the Triforce of Wisdom had shown them all those months ago.

Smiling, he held his hands out before him. Light shimmered, and then he was holding the sundered blade that was the Master Sword. Here in this place where the blade that was in essence as kin to him as a brother had been forged, it would now be reborn...

"You won't be forgotten, Kaiain'no. I'll make _sure_ your sacrifice won't be wasted..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

There was a massed exclaimation, followed by a thud and several yelps as eight Sages, two Keepers, and a girl and her father appeared mid air only to land in a tumbled heap before the entrance to the Temple of Courage. The people who had been standing watch here milled around in confusion, none having any idea what was going on. Ignoring them, the group of twelve rearranged themselves and got to their feet, turning to face the temple entrance as a chuckle reached their ears.

Link grinned at them from where he stood leaning against a pillar at one side of the doorway, his altered hair hidden by the shadows.

"Nice landing."

They all stared at him, all tense with curiousity and hope, and yet also wary lest their hope be about to be dashed.

Aryll took a step towards her brother.

"Link. Where did you go? I sensed you head here, but where were you before that?"

He laughed.

"Kyayna'ai, the Goddess of Creation, knew a way to tell if someone were descended from a particular god. She pulled me into the Realm of the Gods to speak with me about it... Heh heh, our aunts are going to be pretty annoyed with her for stepping in like that."

Aryll blinked in confusion, as did everyone else.

"Our aunts? We don't have any aunts..."

Link chuckled again, enjoying this all too much.

"Aryll'ya, if you count Din'ira, Nayru'ine, and Farore'na, we have three. Not to mention dozens and dozens of cousins now that I think about it. I am so going to enjoy giving Zephos'ir and Cyclos'an a good ribbing about that." He looked at his father now. "What do you say, Eidan'ne? Want to come watch when I do that?"

Both his sister and his father stood stock still, the uttering of their true names stirring within them the long lost knowledge of what they were. Immediately the two began to grin as well, while the two Keepers and eight Sages present looked on in bafflement.

It was Tetra who eventually found her voice first.

"Link, what the heck are you talking about? And what's with the wierd names? Din'... ahkk." She blinked and tried again, again her voice seizing up as she tried to say the end. "What the?"

Link chuckled, stepping out of the shadows, the sun making his now white hair blaze.

"Din'ira is the true divine name of Din, the Goddess of Power. Only one who is related to a god can utter a god's true name. That was the method Kyayna knew, and tricked me into testing myself by saying her's. As for me, don't bother trying to say mine, Aryll's, or my father's. You'll get as stuck on ours as you did on Din's. Same goes for my son, Tekai'no. Since we're descended from Kaiayn'no, we have 'divine' names as well. Family heritage and all."

As she looked at him, stunned, Saria took a step towards him.

"Your hair... You mean all this time your family _was_ one we needed to find? Does that mean you..." She just then noticed something strange about the hill above the entrance. "Wait, is that higher than before?"

His smile widened.

"Yeah, I've fixed the temple. Everything inside is back to how it should be... and before you ask." He reached towards the sheath across his back, to with a very familiar hilt poking up over his left shoulder. "I also fixed this." He drew the blade with the ringing sound of flawless steel. There in his grip lay the Master Sword... whole once more. He hefted it. "Once I awakened as the Sage of Courage, I knew right away how to fix it. Remember what we learned when we were shown Kaiayn; the power I now have is equal to Medli and Makar's combined. In fact, my power is equal to that which is in the sword, and as one with divine blood I'm not resticted in how much of if I can tap as the rest of the sages are. As one descended from the source of that power, the Sword recognised me and permitted me to reforge it. It has a mind of its own, and it's rather picky about it." He sheathed the sword again, looking at the two Sages of the Master Sword. "Guys, if you could come with me down the the sacred chamber, I need for you to charge the sword. I've opened the Doors to your temples again, so you can get into them easily enough. Now that there's a Sage of Courage again, you'll only need to pray once a year. In between those prayers, my will will maintain the flows of power that you two start up. The only reason Laruto and Fado prayed all the time was because without a Sage of Courage, they had to."

He turned and entered the temple, Medli, Makar, and the others following along behind him.

As they passed through the first chamber, Rauru spoke with a note of irony.

"All this time, all that searching, and all along the one we needed was right in front of us. We sent the Legacy to seek the Legacy..."

Pausing before the door to the next level, Link glanced back over his shoulder.

"Tekai knew, back when he handed me the hilt of his sword. When he asked me to watch over his descendants for him, he asked me to do something I was already doing. I think that's why he was amused when he gave me it." He set off again, snorting to himself. "We also made the mistake of assuming descendants of Kaiayn would _always_ have white hair, when in truth there was never anything to show that they _would_. For all we know, the trait fell dormant somewhere, so that only if they willed it their hair became white... Like mine has now. When I willingly took up Kaiayn's task of maintaining the Master Sword, it changed." He chuckled. "It makes sense when you think about the Hero of Time, about how he used the sword, but never once did anything to affect it or its power. His hair never changed, not even when he unlocked the door that his ancestor created and sealed. It was all there, all along."

The stunned silence that followed as they reached the final chamber said it all, and now as two sages prayed to bring power to the Blade of Evil's Bane, after the passing of countless millenia, the true balance of Sages had been restored... Six watching the Mortal and Sacred Realms, the shields that protected them; and the three who presided over and provided the power for the Master Sword, the blade to strike at evil should it rise. The Sword and Sheild of the God of Protection were finally reunited, in this begining of a new age...

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**Alaia Skyhawk: One chappie to go!**


	89. Epilogue

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Sniffles) This is it, the final chapter...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

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Chapter 89: Epilogue

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The sun shone down, golden upon the lands of Hyrule. Four years, four years had passed in this new age for the lands where once the Golden Power lay sleeping; its Keepers guiding the people down the path of peace and prosperity. Tale of exactly what had occurred that dark day had never once been uttered to the people, the saving of the new lands from destruction being deemed a rather touchy subject to reveal to them... Much like the Sages of the Sacred Realm had never revealed the specifics of the aborted seven year future, which they had prevented from occurring with the help of the Hero of Time. Ignorance, or at least moderate ignorance, was certainly bliss... and meant a great deal fewer headaches for the queen. All the people knew was that that day the Sage of Courage had awakened, and that he had at long last re-forged the Master Sword. That blade now lay deep within the Temple of Courage, there to await the day it would be needed again, but now is not time to talk of that; for that is another story that it is not yet time to tell. Now is the time to speak of those who had strived to hard to achieve this time of peace.

Of the Zoras, Marren and Irreilla, and of the others whom dwelt upon the island of Outset, those four years had been a time of happiness and amusing discoveries. A trio of young Zoras now lived on the isle, their parents continuing their self appointed task of attending to Guardian Spirit of Water, Lord Jabun, when needed, and also helping about the island; particularly during the sea farming season. The pair were also aided in defence against the occasional swarm of Gyorgs, although the last time such a swarm came to the island it was the unlikeliest of fellows that beat all of the other defenders to the punch... The sight of Sturgeon shouting battle cries as he threw harpoons he'd swiped from his brother at the marauding fish causing many of the villagers to stand staring at him in a shocked stupor. Hence the amusing discovery... for Orca and Vallandra at least...

Of the former pirate crew, scout Gerril, and Darthan of Hyrule Castle Town, the official had finally been coerced into getting on a ship. Becoming dreadfully sea sick while his scout offered what sympathy he could, while the pirates themselves simply looked on with more than a few wicked smiles as a few deliberate errors in hoisting the sails and steering made the Sea Spirit lurch in a manner that had the beleaguered mayor diving for the rails.

Of Tetra and her husband, Daneil, and their daughter' Saphali, they had settled comfortably into their roles as Hyrule's leaders. The little girl giving her Shadow Sage nanny the slip on many occasions; to be found hanging around in the SS Linebeck several hours later. Its captain having being talked into remaining in the kingdom permanently, becoming a short haul merchant... and an expert at spotting defective storage crates.

Of Komali and Medli, they now led the Rito tribe after the prince's father had stood down and retired as Chief of the tribe. The former leader now spent his days in the sorting office, leaving the care of the island and its people in his son's capable hands.

Of Makar, Saria, and the rest of the Kokiri, they had returned to the carefree life of their ancestors, the two sages getting the chance to be 'children' for the first time in a long while; their fellow sages also returning to normal life among their people.

And lastly of Link and his family. Of Mila, Eidan, Aryll, and Tekai. After his awakening as the Sage of Courage, Link had ended up spending more than a little time stopping the formal treatment from the people that he'd previously gotten for being a Hero. When time came that the casual respect he'd preferred had returned, he'd indulged in a spot of world hopping as his powers permitted him, even visiting his diving aunts and proving that Kaiayn could have done the same if he'd wished it, but had instead lied to his sister and chosen not to. That trip took him back to a world he'd visited for only ten, Hyrulian' minutes. The reunion with a certain yellow fairy being well worth the inter-world journey it entailed. Beyond that time he'd settled down to life with his family, raising his son and enjoying the well earned peace.

This leads us to this scene; set somewhere among the rolling fields east of Hyrule City, where a certain blond haired young woman was indulging in an old prank with a new target...

"GIVE ME BACK MY CLOUD!"

With a laugh, having used magic to drag the puff of vapour from under its owner and tow it away, Aryll soared up into the air on the wings she'd gotten from Valoo for her sixteenth birthday.

"Only if you can catch me!"

Zephos scrambled through the grass, the frog-like wind god hopping up into the air, hands grasping madly at his stolen cloud as his mortal cousin held it just out of reach. Nearby his brother watched with a raised eyebrow, speaking in an aside to the white haired sage beside him.

"Why doesn't he just fly? He can do that without the cloud, so why is he making such a fuss?"

Link chuckled, taking a bite from the apple he'd pilfered from the nearby picnic basket.

"He's probably like Mako, whose glasses she used to swipe. He acted like it annoyed him, but truth was he enjoyed the chase."

The red frog's eyes widened in understanding.

"Ah... So that's why..."

A shout came from a short way away, a blond haired six year old waving madly as his mother and grandfather smiled beside him.

"Hey, Dad! The food's ready!"

His eyes holding a hint of amusement, Link got to his feet before glancing at the god beside him. Cyclos looked back, before the pair of them headed for the blanket laid out upon the grass; here beneath the golden sun... While in a realm away three goddesses watched them, their mother's arms around them, smiling...

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**Alaia Skyhawk: So that's it, the end of this story. I began this two years ago, not that long after I joined the site, and here I am now writing the final author note for it. While no doubt a few, or many, of you are screaming 'No, I don't want it to end!', here's a little something to cheer you up... (Takes deep breath) I'M WRITING A SEQUEL! WOO HOO! 'Zelda: Wind's of a New Darkness', of which I will be posting the first chapter in about 10 minutes from now XD. Happy reading :D**


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